Yogi Adityanath’s Photo At Pro-Monarchist Rally Sparks Controversy In Nepal

A controversy erupted in Nepal after photographs of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were displayed at a pro-monarchist rally organised here to welcome former king Gyanendra Shah.

As soon as Gyanendra, 77, landed at the Tribhuvan International Airport from Pokhara on board the Simrik Air helicopter on Sunday after visiting religious places in different parts of the country, hundreds of loyalists, including leaders and cadres of pro-monarchist Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), started chanting slogans in his favour.

The rally was intended to demonstrate support for the reinstatement of monarchy in Nepal. Hundreds of loyalists riding motorbikes carrying Gyanendra’s picture and national flags greeted him on both sides of the road outside the airport. Some supporters also displayed photographs of Adityanath’s image alongside Gyanendra’s.

However, the inclusion of the images of BJP leader Adityanath alongside Gyanendra’s was met with criticism from various political factions as well as from the general public on social media.

Following the backlash, RPP spokesperson Gyanendra Shahi, alleged that the display of Adityanath’s photograph was a deliberate attempt to malign the pro-monarchist movement by the K P Oli-led government. He accused the Oli government of orchestrating the move through infiltration.

“The photograph of Yogi Adityanath was displayed in the rally at the instruction of Bishnu Rimal, chief advisor of Prime Minister K P Oli, at the advice of Oli,” Shahi claimed in a social media post on Sunday.

Rimal strongly refuted the allegations.

In a social media post, he said, “It was an illusion created through disinformation by the disqualified people who accidentally reached a responsible position.” Meanwhile, without naming Adityanath, Prime Minister Oli at a programme in Kathmandu on Monday said, “We don’t use photograph of foreign leaders in our rallies.” Gyanendra had reportedly met with Adityanath during his visit to Uttar Pradesh in January.

The former king supporters have been rallying in different parts of the country, including Kathmandu and Pokhara, for the past few days, demanding the reinstatement of the monarchy abolished in 2008 following the People’s Movement.

The pro-monarchists have become active since the democracy day in February when Gyanendra said, “Time has come for us to assume responsibility to protect the country and bring about national unity.”

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)