King's supporters organise rally on his birthday

Supporters of king Gyanendra take out a small rally at Durbar Marg, in front of Nayanhiti royal palace, on Saturday morning on the occasion of the king's 60 th birthday.

Few hundred people gathered at Durbar Marg, and chanted slogans against the eight parties and in support of the king, who has been stripped of all his powers.

Cadres of the Maoist sister organisations, All Nepal National Independent Student Union Revolutionary (ANNIFSUR) and Young Communist League (YCL, staged demonstration at Ratnapark in the morning in an attempt to foil a rally planned by king's supporters. The royalists, however, didn't organise the rally in the area.

Known royalists like former prime ministers Surya Bahadur Thapa, Lokendra Bahadur Chand and Kirti Nidhi Bista and former royalist ministers Niranjan Thapa, Roshan Karki, Buddhi Man Tamang and Mohammad Mohsin were among those joining a grand birthday party hosted by the king this afternoon.

While the royalists proceeded towards the palace from Durbar Marg, the Maoist cadres were demonstrating around Ratnapark, Bhadrakai, Shahid Gate and New Road. Large number of Nepal Police and Armed Police personnel were mobilised in and around Durbar Marg in view of possible confrontation.

On Friday, the palace had requested the government to provide security during the Diamond Jubilee birth celebration of the King.

A daily newspaper today published a photo showing barbed wire fences at the south gate, indicating heightened security at the palace. nepalnews.com ia July 07 07

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