Supporters of the country’s deposed royal family rallied in the capital demanding the restoration of the monarchy ahead of the March elections. It was the first rally by suppor­ters of ousted King Gyanendra since a wave of violent demonstrations by disgruntled youth in September installed an interim government that set fresh parliamentary elections in March. Bring back the king,” the rally participants chanted on Sunday around the statue of King Prithvi Narayan Shah, who star­ted the Shah dynasty in the 18th century. The last Shah king – Gyanendra – was forced to step down and the monarchy was abolished in 2008, making Nepal a republic. “The last and only alternative for this country is king and monar­chy only,” said protester Samrat Thapa.

Source: The Star January 13, 2026 11:58 UTC