• Source:JND
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Two people, including a protester and a media person, were killed during violent pro-monarch demonstrations in Kathmandu on Friday. The unrest led to the imposition of a curfew and the deployment of the Nepal Army as authorities struggled to contain escalating violence. The protest, backed by the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), the fifth-largest party in parliament, witnessed widespread arson, stone-pelting and clashes with security forces.

The confrontation began when Durga Prasai, a pro-monarch businessman, rammed his vehicle through a police barricade. The situation quickly deteriorated as protesters attacked a political party office, set vehicles on fire and looted shops. In response, security forces fired shots and used tear gas to disperse the crowd. The Kathmandu district administration initially imposed a curfew from 4:25 PM to 10 PM, later extending it until 7 AM on Saturday.

Authorities confirmed that Sabin Maharjan, 29, from Kathmandu, succumbed to a bullet injury sustained during the clashes. Suresh Rajak, a photojournalist from Avenues Television, died while covering the protest. He was on the top floor of a building in Tinkune, which demonstrators set ablaze after accusing police of launching tear gas from inside. 

Rajak went missing shortly after the fire started, and police later recovered a severely burned body from the fourth floor, suspected to be his. Official identification of the body is still pending. More than 30 people sustained injuries, with nearly half being police personnel, according to authorities.

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Widespread Vandalism And Looting

During the turmoil, demonstrators torched eight vehicles, set fire to a house, vandalized the offices of Kantipur Television and Annapurna Post, and looted the Bhatbhateni Supermarket in Chabahil. The office of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Socialist in Baneshwor was also attacked.

The curfew zone included areas from Shantinagar Bridge to Manohara River Bridge, encompassing Koteshwor, Tinkune, the airport region, Baneshwor Chowk, and Gaushala. Authorities allowed travelers to the airport if they provided valid tickets.

Calls For Monarchy's Restoration

Protesters carried images of former King Gyanendra Shah and Nepal’s national flag while chanting slogans such as "Raja aau, desh bachau" (May the King come to save the country) and "Down with the corrupt government." The pro-monarchy activists attempted to break through barricades set up to prevent clashes with the Socialist Front, which simultaneously held a counter-demonstration supporting the republican system.

Government Response 

Prime Minister K P Oli convened an emergency cabinet meeting to address the situation. The Ministry of Home Affairs condemned the violence, blaming the protest organizers for the destruction of public property. "The right to freedom ensured by the Constitution of Nepal (2072) has been misused," said Joint Secretary Chabi Rijal, criticizing the protests as "shameful for any decent community."

Several youths were detained for defying restrictions and attempting to march towards New Baneshwor, a restricted area. Authorities accused Prasai, the protest leader, of deliberately driving his vehicle into police forces, escalating the conflict further.

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Nepal abolished its 240-year-old monarchy in 2008 through a parliamentary declaration, transitioning into a secular, federal democratic republic. However, monarchists have continued to demand the restoration of the monarchy, especially after former King Gyanendra Shah appealed for support in a video message on Democracy Day (February 19).

On March 9, pro-monarchy supporters held a rally in favour of the former king, displaying images of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath alongside Gyanendra. Meanwhile, thousands of anti-monarchy demonstrators, led by the Socialist Front, gathered in Bhrikutimandap, demanding action against corruption and reaffirming their commitment to the republican system.

(With Agency Inputs)