RPP protests against prohibitory order issued to prevent installation of King Mahendra’s statue

Published On: December 15, 2023 05:00 PM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KATHMANDU, Dec 15: The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) is engaged in a dispute with the local administration over its efforts to install the statue of the late King Mahendra in Mahendranagar. The local administration issued a prohibitory order on Thursday evening, halting the statue installation program.

RPP Spokesperson Mohan Shrestha criticized the decision to issue the prohibitory order by the local administration, stating, "The politics of prohibition has hindered the statue installation program." He objected to the government's move to block the installation of the late King Mahendra’s statue, citing the late king's significant contributions to the country's development and modernization.

“King Prithvi Narayan Shah, who played an important role in the development and modernization of the country while maintaining the independent existence of Nepal, has the right to install statue not only in Prithvi Chowk of Pokhara and King Mahendra in Mahendranagar, but also in other places of the country,” he told Republica, “Those who fear the kings' statues are coward, uncivilized individuals who do not respect history. Let's unite to establish the living king in the Narayanhiti Palace.”

The Kanchanpur District Administration Office said it had issued the weeklong prohibitory order to maintain peace and order. The decision follows escalating disputes among various political parties over the installation of the late king Mahendra’s statue at Sambidhan Chowk.

As soon as RPP Kanchanpur announced the installation of Mahendra's statue at Sambidhan Chowk on December 14, various reactions started to pour in. Along with the news of the installation of the statue at Sambidhan Chowk in Kanchanpur, eight parties, including Nepali Congress, UML, and Maoists, issued a joint statement stating that this work is a violation of the Constitution.

Radhakrishna Dumre uploaded a status on social media, stating, “After the country has become a republic, why should you be afraid of the statue of the late king? You should be able to respect and protect history.”