KATHMANDU, July 12: Chief Whip of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), Gyanendra Shahi, has stated that "a king remains a king."
Taking to Facebook on Saturday, Shahi said that being a king is a title given by history, and that no law can stop the respect that has emerged from the hearts of the people.
“A king is always a king. It is a title bestowed by history and a respect that arises from the people’s hearts. No law can stop such respect, nor can any position suppress it,” he wrote.
Refusing to grant citizenship in name of mother is unconstituti...
He further added, “A king is always called a king. And those who serve foreign powers are called traitors, while those who renounce luxury and power for the people are called patriots and ‘Shree 5’ (a royal title).”
Criticizing the government, he said, “Those who burned people alive are forgiven, and those involved in scandals and corruption are still called criminals and corrupt. If the logic is that anything not written in the constitution cannot be spoken or written, then your name too, Prime Minister, is not in the constitution—should we not be allowed to say your name then?”
He also said that even today, foreign heads of state address the former king as “His Majesty the King.” Challenging the government, he added, “If you have the courage and strength, summon those foreign heads of state for questioning.”
On Friday, Dr. Phani Raj Pathak, communication secretary to former King Gyanendra Shah, was released by the police on the condition that he refer to the former king’s office as “former king’s secretariat.” He had been summoned early Friday morning for questioning on charges of acting against the constitution.
The police summoned Pathak after concerns were raised in parliament over the use of royal titles and styles in official statements issued from Shah’s secretariat. Though the monarchy was abolished 15 years ago, former King Shah has continued issuing statements in the style of a reigning monarch, thereby creating confusion regarding his status.
