It was already 20:40 (Kathmandu time) when Nepal’s ex-King Gyanendra Shah on Wednesday peacefully quit the palace to stay in another palace, Nagarjun. It was the 15th day, the final deadline, given by the Nepal government for him to quit Narayanhity Palace.
Morally, Shah had to respect people’s mandate just on 28 May when the elected Constituent Assembly formally implemented the republic by abolishing the suspended monarchy. But he silently resisted the republican decision of the elected Constituent Assembly and stayed on in the palace made out of public wealth.
The government issued a formal letter informing him about the deadline for quitting the palace to facilitate the smooth transition from monarchy to republic. On the last day of the deadline, he unwillingly left the palace after addressing domestic and foreign journalists.
In the press conference held in the premises of the Narayanhity Palace (Nepal government has decided to change it into a public museum), Gyanendra Shah spent most of his 15-minute speech on defending his predecessors and himself as well their autocratic rule. Shah said that he had handed over the crown to the Nepal government for its protection.
Shah tried to relieve himself of many accusations made against him. He said that he was not involved in many crimes as per media. But he said, “if any of his family members had done any harm to anybody, people would surely understand as an act of ignorance.”
Regarding his properties, Shah said that he has not taken any of his family members’ properties. He even claimed that he has institutionalized Birendra Shah’s properties and those of his family members. But he could not say under which institution he has kept the properties of the late family members.
What was interesting in Gyanendra Shah’s speech was his non-admittance of many wrongs he did. He repeatedly claimed that monarchy and people still have good relationship. But at the same time, he also regretted, “there was no one to speak for us even when we were being targeted everywhere.”
Shah did not want to answer any of the journalists’ questions in the press conference.
One week ago, he reportedly took many fully loaded trucks out of the palace. Nobody knows what were there in those trucks. A carpet processing worker living nearby the North Gate of the Narayanhity Palace said, “It was about 00:15 when I suddenly woke up with the continuous sounds of trucks. From my partially opened window, I saw a long trail of trucks covered with green tents. I have no idea what was the thing.”
So far, the government has not produced any inventory of weapons, gold and jewels in the palace. Previously nobody had any right to enquire about such things.
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