The Home Ministry notified Gyanendra to keep away from the program late Tuesday morning as tension started simmering at Basantapur area, with the Maoists protesting the ´Kumari Puja´. [break]The Yuba Bishaw Hindu Mahasanga had grossly publicized the program as an occasion to be graced by ´His Majesty the King´. Gyanendra was supposed to felicitate nine former Kumaris (living goddesses), as well as hundreds of local pre-menstrual girls, referred to in a religious vein as Kumaris.
“We notified him not to take part in the program due to security sensitivities,” said Jay Mukunda Khanal, spokesman at the Home Ministry. Kathmandu Chief District Officer (CDO) Laxmi Prasad Dhakal said the former king was asked not to attend the program, following intelligence reports about security threats.
Newa National Mukti Morcha (NNMM), a sister wing of the UCPN (Maoist), admitted that it had made preparations to disrupt the program in the event of participation by Gyanendra.
“It would not have mattered to us if he was coming as a private individual. What we did not want to see was his public presence as an incumbent king,” said Umesh Sthapit, president of NNMM Kathmandu.
“The situation could have turned out very bad,” Stapit said. “Better that he did not turn up.”
The Hindu wing, led by one Rajan Maharjan, had prepared for the program in an upscale setting including a makeshift throne. Maharjan could not be contacted for comment.
Despite cancellation of the former king´s attendance as chief guest, Maharjan felicitated a total of 504 local pre-menstrual girls and then took the nine former Kumaris to Nirmal Niwas, Gyanendra´s private residence at Maharajgunj, for the felicitations. The group also staged a rally in favor of monarchy.
CDO Dhakal said it was not possible security-wise for the former monarch to attend the program as most security personnel in the capital were deployed for the Nepali Congress national convention.
Meanwhile, the National Democratic Party-Nepal, in a press statement, regretted the government´s decision of prevent the former king from participating in a cultural function.
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