A meeting of key leaders of pro-republican political parties has concluded that the former King Gynendra Shah is the main orchestrator behind conspiratorial activities aimed at undermining the constitution and overthrowing the federal democratic republican system.

Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak after the meeting said that the current system of governance was achieved through a long struggle. Lekhak also emphasised that there was a consensus among political parties to unite for the protection of the constitution and to ensure national development and public security.

“No anti-constitutional activities will be tolerated,” Home Minister Lekhak said while talking to the press after the meeting.

Backing the government’s action to control royalist activities, CPN (Maoist Centre) Deputy General Secretary Shakti Basnet said that republican parties must move forward by rectifying any mistakes made under the current system. Basnet mentioned that his party had put forward this suggestion during the all-party meeting.

“It is time for political parties to engage in serious self-reflection regarding the action that might have hurt the sentiments of the public,” Basnet told the Post.

Although republican parties have disagreements on various issues, former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai who is also the chair of Nepal Samajbadi Party suggested during the all-party meeting that they must unite to counter the recent anti-republican activities orchestrated in the support of former King Gyanendra Shah.

“Gyanendra Shah has long been behaving as if he were still a king, the political parties and the government have overlooked it with mercy. However, the incident on March 28 was incited by him, and was a criminal act. His actions have now crossed the line. That is why I have proposed in the all-party meeting that he must face legal action,” Bhattarai, who left the meeting a bit earlier, stated while speaking to the press.

Two people lost their lives during the royalist protest in the Tinkune area, and both public and private properties were extensively damaged.

The all-party meeting on Sunday evening excluded the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), the fourth and the fifth largest parties in Parliament. Both parties were not invited to the meeting, reportedly considering them as anti-republic forces.

The meeting was called by Prime Minister Oli following violent activities by royalists in Tinkune on March 28. While the RPP is a pro-monarchy party, the RSP was established with a commitment to the republican system of the country.

RSP acting spokesperson, Manish Jha, stated that the party’s official report, passed during last year’s Jaleshwar meeting, had already clarified their political direction. Jha asserted that the RSP is more republican and democratic than those parties that merely claim to be so.

Furthermore, Jha alleged that RSP was excluded from the all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Oli on Sunday due to the influence of the Nepali Congress, the main coalition partner in government.

“The Congress and its leaders don’t want to recognise the RSP as a political party. That is why the prime minister did not invite us to the all-party meeting—to avoid displeasing the main coalition partner in government,” Jha alleged Congress for not being invited to the all-party meeting.

Similarly, the leader of the main opposition party and chairman of the CPN (Maoist Centre), Pushpa Kamal Dahal, was absent from the all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Oli. Although Dahal was unable to attend as he was outside Kathmandu, the party was represented by Vice Chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Pampha Bhusal.

The meeting was attended by coalition partners, including the Congress, CPN-UML, Janata Samajbadi Party, Janata Samajbadi Party-Nepal, Janamat Party, Nagarik Unmukti Party, and Loktantrik Samajbadi Party.

Similarly, opposition parties such as the Maoist Centre, CPN (Unified Socialist) and former prime minister Baburam Bhattarai who is also the chair of Nepal Samajbadi Party were also present, among others.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister and UML chair Oli has stated that royalists had taken to the streets on March 28 with a plan to incite violence.

During the UML Secretariat meeting held in party office Chyasal on Sunday Prime Minister Oli claimed that the royalists were deliberately attempting to provoke unrest.

“Their intentions are not right. They have come with a plan to incite violence,” Yubaraj Gyawali, the vice-chair and the secretariat member, said quoting Prime Minister Oli.

However, the prime minister assured that those responsible for violent activities would be punished according to the law, Gyawali said.

“Anarchy and instability are being instigated. There is an intention to violate democracy and the constitution,” the Prime Minister Oli said in the meeting. “We must work in favour of democracy, and lawless activities will be controlled as per legal provisions.”

Prime Minister KP Oli informed the party’s secretariat meeting that the government had not anticipated the unrest caused by the royalist group on March 28 .

“We had expected the protest to remain peaceful, but that was a miscalculation on our part,” a secretariat member quoted the Prime Minister as saying to the Post.

The party’s secretariat meeting has called for an investigation into the protest and urged the government to bring all those involved under legal scrutiny. Furthermore, the party has demanded that if former King Gyanendra Shah is found guilty during the investigation, he should also face legal action.

“Analysing the sequence of events, the party suggested that if the need arises, the former king should also be brought within the legal framework,” the secretariat member of the party said.

When asked about Oli’s public remarks on the protesters, which some perceived as overly reactive, the party secretariat member said that they have advised him to remain firm in countering wrongdoings while maintaining restraint and patience when speaking on other matters.

Speaking at the inauguration of the 8th International Women Entrepreneurs Trade Fair in Lalitpur before the day of protest, Prime Minister Oli had said that small-scale protests and rallies frequently occur in the country and there was nothing to worry about.

“In reality, nothing significant will happen on Friday. Rallies of 10,000 to 15,000 people take place regularly in Kathmandu. There is no need to exaggerate a minor issue as a crisis,” Oli had said.

The party has also assessed that the royalist movement is unlikely to subside anytime soon.