Increasing popularity of King Gyanendra worries PM Dahal, other leaders
Over the months, the popularity of deposed king Gyanendra Shah has increased significantly thanks to increasing corrupt activities and people's frustration. The crowds of people he drew in Bhaktapur and other places recently are a testimony to this. However, the rising popularity of the former king has snatched away the sleep of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and other leaders of the ruling parties. Fearing the everincreasing popularity of the former King, the ruling CPN (Maoist Centre) on Sunday decided to demonstrate in the streets to safeguard the republican set-up. A meeting of the office bearers of the CPN (Maoist Centre) on Sunday took the decision. Addressing the brief meeting, the Prime Minister reportedly expressed his worries about the growing popularity and activism of the former king and his supporters.
The PM called the formal meeting of the office bearers of the party committee at Baluwatar on Sunday to discuss the latest political situation and to extend the deadline of the special transformation campaign of the party. Addressing the meeting for about 10 minutes, the PM said that the political system was under threat from the former king, not from the new political parties.
The PM, as reported by an online portal close to the CPN (Maoist Centre, said that the former king has posed a challenge to the present political system with the increasing misuse of social sites. Likewise, he criticised CPN-UML chair KP Oli for not cooperating with the national issues.
The same meeting decided to demonstrate in the streets against regression and to safeguard political achievements.
The decision of the meeting of the ruling parties chaired by the Prime Minister himself to organise a protest rally shows how restless the ruling party and the government are. Organising a demonstration by the government is unusual, but the Dahal-led government has decided to demonstrate in the streets on December 8. The decision itself shows how PM Dahal and his party are afraid of the increasing popularity of the former king Gyanendra.