KATHMANDU, March 30: The political atmosphere of the capital has become tense as former King Gyanendra Shah finds himself at the center of increasing controversy after a violent pro-monarchy rally at Tinkune in Kathmandu on Friday.
Government authorities have taken multiple actions against former King Shah, including revoking his passport, downsizing his security, while Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) separately imposed a Rs 793,000 fine for the damage to public property caused by the protest purportedly organized to reinstate the monarchy.
Although the former monarch himself never showed up for the protest, the rally was organized by the Joint People’s Movement Committee led by Panchayat-era leader Navaraj Subedi. The committee had appointed medical entrepreneur Durga Prasai, whose patronage commands Shah's sympathies, as the public commander of the demonstration.
Prasai, who attempted to barge through police barricades during the protest, has been evading arrest since Friday evening after blaming the government for the two deaths during the protests through a Facebook post. As the commander of the unruly mob is avoiding apprehension, the authorities and the public alike seem to be shifting the blame for the incident on former King Shah for his overarching influence over the protest.
Even as tensions remained on an escalation mode, all eyes were looking towards the former monarch, wondering about his role and his influence in politics. Netizens, in particular, have started heaping the blame on him as the hashtag of #ArrestGyanendra trends across social media.
A riotous protest and its fatal legacy
The demonstration in support of the monarchy, which had started peacefully at 11:00 am on Friday, mutated into a violent one, resulting in two deaths, scores of individuals sustaining injuries and scores of arrests.
According to Kathmandu District Police Range (DPR), a total of 128 individuals were injured in the clash, 77 of whom were security personnel.
“As many as 55 personnel mobilized by the Nepal Police, 22 personnel from the Armed Police Force (APF) and 51 protesters were among the injured,” Superintendent of Police (SP) Apil Raj Bohara at the DPR told Republica.
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Two people lost their lives in the chaos: journalist Suresh Rajak was charred to death after getting locked inside a building torched by pro-monarchy protesters and protester Sabin Maharjan, 29, of Kirtipur Municipality, who succumbed to injuries sustained during the clash while receiving treatment at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.
The protesters wreaked havoc on public and private property. As many as 18 properties were vandalised and 12 were torched by the protesters and the Bhatbhateni Supermarket in Koteshwar was ransacked.
The rioters also attacked vehicles, with 22 cars and motorbikes being torched, including six police four-wheelers and four government vehicles. According to the DPR, police have not been able to ascertain the ownership of six vehicles torched by the pro-monarchy mob.
The worst of the violence occurred when photojournalist Suresh Rajak was locked inside a building torched by rioters and he was charred to death. Protester Sabin Maharjan, 29, succumbed to injuries sustained at the protest, while undergoing treatment at the Tribhuvan University teaching Hospital.
Government to revoke former King's passport
To contain the effects of the demonstrations, the government has started the procedure to revoke the passport of erstwhile King Gyanendra Shah, in a bid to restrict his movement outside of the country and hold him accountable for the damage caused during the riot.
Governmental authorities have also started probing into Shah's role in the instigation of the violence which tarnished Friday's demonstration.
A senior government official at the Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed that a cancellation procedure for Shah's passport is already in process because the government suspects the former king of using his influence to arrange the protest.
Multiple investigations are also underway into charges of murder, attempt to murder, organized crime, and inciting violence.
The government has made up its mind to strip Shah of his privileges following an emergency cabinet session where the ministers were shocked by the escalating violence and how it was impacting public order. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has emphasized that the right to peaceful protests is guaranteed by the democratic system, but violent acts resulting in loss of life and destruction will not be tolerated.
Privileges terminated
In a move that has attracted considerable publicity, the government downsized former King Gyanendra Shah's security contingent. The Armed Police Force (APF) recalled 10 members of the 25-man security contingent attending to the former monarch at about 11:30 pm on Friday. The APF’s move has been analyzed as a part of a broader effort to strip former royal family members of privileges and state security.
A high-placed APF official revealed that up to 10 personnel are being withdrawn from Shah's security, while 15 personnel will remain under the command of a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).
The government had employed a tight security detail in protecting the royal members at first after the abolition of monarchy in 2008. Recent reductions, however, are signs of change by the attitude of the government towards the royal members and former monarch Shah, in particular.
KMC fines Shah for damage to public property
While the repercussions of the violent protest were still being revealed, Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has levied a penalty of NPR 793,000 against former King Gyanendra Shah for damaging public property during Friday's protest.
The KMC took the action after there were reports of rioters, who were allegedly among the pro-monarchy protesters, burning and vandalizing several properties in the southeastern area of Kathmandu. The destruction included torching of traffic signals, fire trucks, and individual vehicles.
KMC Mayor Balen Shah's secretariat has confirmed that the metropolis has sent eight different letters to the former king after assessing the damage caused in the course of the riot.
Shah has been fined Rs 100,000 each for littering six different areas of the capital, as per the Solid Waste Management Act 2011 and two municipal laws. He has also been fined Rs 130,000 for the damage caused by the protesters on the fire trucks that had reached on-site to douse the torched building in Tinkune. In addition, Shah has been fined Rs 40,000 for damaging the plants and their protective railings, and Rs 23,000 for the damage dealt to the Tinkune island.
Netizens shift blame
Demand for the arrest of former king Shah has gained a lot of pace on the social media platforms. Since the violent protests on Friday led to two fatalities, including that of a journalist, netizens have taken to social media platforms under the hashtag #ArrestGyanendra. Social media users have expressed their ire at Shah for his alleged role in orchestrating the violent protests.
Social networking websites are abuzz with tweets calling for Shah's arrest, blaming him for instigating violence to using social networking websites to justify illegal activities. Samik Badal, the president of student union ANNFSU, called for the government to take action against Shah, claiming he was the mastermind behind the violence.
Despite this rising demand, there has also been support for the former king at some level. Shah has been defended by some social media users who claim he is a symbol of Nepal's stability and national identity. There have been tags such as #IamWithGyanendra where people believe his leadership will establish order in Nepal's political mayhem.