KATHMANDU, Jan 3: Former King Gyanendra Shah, who has been in Bhairahawa for two weeks, held a meeting with five senior leaders of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) on Wednesday morning.
RPP President Rajendra Lingden along with Buddhiman Tamang, Rabindra Mishra, Dhawal Shamsher Rana and Deepak Bahadur Singh reached Bhairahawa after they received a call from former King Shah. The purpose of the meeting is not clear.
RPP leaders are scheduled to return to Kathmandu at 6:30PM after a discussion with former king Shah.
Why is former King Gyanendra visiting Bhutan?
RPP Senior Vice President Rabindra Mishra in a Facebook post has a photo of their meeting with Shah. "We've all seen and understood a lot. I represent a historical organization. My job is to bind everyone in a formula of unity. All Nepalis are equal to me,” he quoted former King Gyanendra Shah as saying in the meeting.
Within the RPP, Chairman Lingden favors moving forward with the main opposition UML, while some leaders, including Mishra, advocate joining the struggle against the current system rather than participating in the government.
King Gyanendra has been busy with informal meetings with various people individually and collectively. He attended only one formal event in a week, unveiling a statue of Prithvi Narayan Shah at Shivraj Municipality-3 Kharendrapur Chowk, Kapilvastu.
Shah has been staying at the five-star hotel Siddhartha Bhilasa in Bhairahawa with his wife Komal and grandson Hridayendra. During his stay, Shah visited Butwal, went for a morning walk, and even went shopping at Bhatbhateni supermarket in Bhairahawa. Shah plans to visit places like Jit Gadhi and Nilakantha Dham in Butwal, Pakari Tree in Devdaha, Narayanpur and Darbhanga Shiva Temple.
