By Our Reporter

The pro-royalist groups, which have started their street protests since May 29, have been giving continuity to their Kathmandu-centric demonstrations.

Launched with the goal of reinstating the monarchy abolished in 2008, the movement of the pro-royalist groups is also facing suppression not only from the government but also from the two major communist parties –ruling CPN-UML and the main opposition CPN (Maoist Centre). While the government has extended the prohibitory zones in the Kathmandu valley, allowing rallies and mass meetings only in Balkhu, Balkumari and Shifal areas, the leaders and cadres of the UML took a rally to thwart the pro-royalist groups' demonstration on May 29 while the CPN (Maoist Centre) activists, most the Young Communist League cadres thrashed an activist of pro-monarchy groups in Nuwakot on Sunday, while they also targeted the pro-royalists in Kathmandu.

The pro-monarchy groups first carried out their rallies at Ratna Park on May 29, but when the government restricted any rally in the area around the Narayanhity Palace, they shifted to Maitighar the next day and then Baluwatar area. But the government continued suppressing the rally. It imposed restrictions in Baluwtar area. On Sunday, the police arrested Kamal Thapa and six other leaders of RPP and RPP-N, prompting a section of the agitating group to call a strike for Monday. They arrested for trying to breach the prohibitory order of the government. Video footage showed RPP-N chair Thapa being dragged by police in the street. Later when RPP lawmaker Dipak Bahadur Singh went to see Thapa in police custody, Singh himself was nabbed. They were released later in the night.

However, the groups withdrew the strike for Monday and withheld all their programmes scheduled for Monday citing that they would mourn the massacre of the Royal Palace in which King Birendra and his entire family members were killed 24 years ago. But they carried out a rally at Sifal on Tuesday.

Visit visa scandal puts Home Minister Lekhak's post at risk

By Our Reporter

With the arrest of Joint Secretary Tirtha Bhattarai of the Immigration office of the Tribhuvan International Airport for facilitating the racket to allow Nepalis possessing visit visas to fly overseas after receiving hefty money and the direct involvement of his secretariat in the scam, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak is now in crisis. It is reported that men at his secretariat were collecting as much as Rs. 5 million a day from the holders of the visit visa.

After revelation of his secretariat's involvement in collecting money from the TIA immigration, the CPN (Maoist Centre) and the Rastriya Swatantra Party are demanding his resignation by obstructing the parliament meeting. Although Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have said that there was no need for Lekhak to step down, Lekhak will have no option but to step down if the opposition parties continue obstructing the House proceedings. The opposition parties which allowed the government to table the budget on May 29 have been obstructing the House proceeding. They also obstructed the meeting on Tuesday.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli called a meeting of three major parties on Monday to end the House deadlock. But the Maoist Centre stuck in its stance that Home Minister should step down and facilitate the independent investigation into the visit visa scam.

Speaker Dev Raj Ghimre also tried to forge a consensus on Tuesday but in vain.

After the opposition obstructed the meeting of the House on Tuesday, he postponed it for Wednesday.

But in dramatic development, the CPN (Maoist Centre) has started demanding formation of a committee to investigate the visit visa scam, dropping its previous demand for Home Minister Lekhak's resignation.

Maoist leaders argued that the resignation of Home Minister would not address the problem of visit visa, so there should be a powerful committee to investigate the case. But the ruling parties have not agreed to form such a committee. If the Maoists, as reported by media, drops its demand, RSP alone will be demanding Lekhak's resignation for a few days.