UML MP demands action against Ex-King Gyanendra over ‘unconstitutional’ statement
KATHMANDU: CPN-UML Member of Parliament Thakur Gaire has called for immediate action against former King Gyanendra Shah and Dr. Phanindra Raj Pathak, Secretary for Royal Communications, over a controversial public statement deemed “unconstitutional” and “deeply shameful.”
Addressing a session of the House of Representatives, MP Gaire strongly criticized a message released on Saturday, which was framed as an expression of condolence from “His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev.” The statement was released through Dr. Pathak and included references that appeared to challenge Nepal’s federal democratic republican system.
“In a federal democratic republican system, how can such a statement be issued?” Gaire asked, emphasizing that the message undermines both the supremacy of the Constitution and the legitimacy of the current governance structure.
He described the incident as an affront to the constitutional order and urged the government to take immediate steps. “How is such conduct even possible under the framework of Nepal’s Constitution and laws?” he questioned, adding, “No one should be allowed to challenge the supremacy of the Constitution.”
Gaire asserted that if such actions go unchecked, they could have long-term implications for Nepal’s constitutional integrity and rule of law. He demanded that those responsible — including the former monarch and Dr. Pathak — be held accountable.
The statement has sparked widespread debate, with critics saying it symbolically attempts to revive monarchical sentiment in direct contradiction to Nepal’s republican values, enshrined in the 2015 Constitution.
