PM Oli calls Gyanendra ‘fake king,’ reflects on end of monarchy

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has accused former King Gyanendra Shah of being a “fake king.” Speaking at the book launch of Democracy and Public Opinion: Nepal’s Election History held at Baluwatar on Sunday, Oli referred to Gyanendra as a “puppet king.”

Recalling the period after the palace massacre, Oli said, “The king died, the queen died, the crown prince died. Then, a king was brought in from nowhere — but he was not the real king; he was a fake king.”

Oli emphasized that the true monarchy ended with the deaths of King Birendra and Crown Prince Dipendra. “The real monarchy ended then; what followed was puppet rule,” he said.

Looking back at history, Oli mentioned the events of 2007 BS when King Tribhuvan went to India.

He claimed that if India had refused to restore the king and negotiated other terms instead, Nepal would have been freed from feudalism sooner.

“Because of that mistake, people had to endure monarchical exploitation until 2065 BS,” he added.

Oli described the monarchy as a conspiratorial regime and hailed the declaration of the republic on Jestha 15, 2065 BS, as a victory for the Nepali people.

He also criticized the establishment of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) after the palace massacre, highlighting attempts to prosecute Sher Bahadur Deuba as interference in people’s rights.