Clashes broke out between monarchy supporters and the police in front of the administrative centre complex Singha Durbar during Unification Day celebrations in Nepal on Monday.
Nepal celebrates the birthday of late King Prithvi Narayan Shah, the founding father of unified Nepal, as National Unification Day. Hundreds of people were gathered in front of Singha Durbar to pay tribute to the statue of Prithvi Narayan Shah to mark his 299th birth anniversary.
Pro-monarchs who came in groups from various locations around the capital were kept off the site by police to avoid possible encounters between the two groups.
"Late King Prithvi Narayan Shah unified Nepal from various states and brought it to this form. I am here to celebrate his birthday and applaud his work," Ripu SudhanThapa, a monarch supporter told .
One person was injured in the clash that took less than 300 metres away from the statue of Prithivi Narayan Shah. The person was rushed to hospital in a security vehicle.
"In previous years also we use to come here and pay homage to him. At the time when some of the ruling class used to spit at the statue of Prithvi Narayan Shah. At that time the Congress, which had respect for the King, for having BP Koirala as our leader, used to put a garland on his statue. Those in power in current time saw our enormous presence and got scared with the numbers and tried to stop us," Indira Adhikari another protestor said.
Pro-monarch forces tried to advance towards the statue chanting pro-monarch slogans. Police tried to veer off the protestors from the restricted area where any kinds of protest or demonstration is prohibited.
Meanwhile, thousands of pro-monarchy demonstrators are taking place in the streets of Kathmandu demanding the reinstatement of Nepal's status as a constitutional monarchy at a time when the political crisis in the Himalayan Nation is deepening.
They also demanded that the existing political system be scrapped, blaming politicians in power for failing to cater to the need of the people in current times. Protesters claimed that a monarchy is the only way to fix the current issues.
( With inputs from ANI )
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