Ex-King is only exercising individual freedom, says aide as parties protest Gyanendra’s western trip

One of former King Gyanendra Shah’s aides Thursday that Shah was only exercising his individual right to visit places within the country, as local cadres of different political parties staged protests against his visit to western districts.

“This is his personal visit,” Baglung-based journalist Deepak Gautam quoted Shah’s aide Sagar Timilsina as saying, “Everybody has individual freedom. The former king is simply exercising his freedom.”

“He is on religious trip. There is nothing the political parties should be opposed to,” he further said, soon after the former King embarked on a weeklong tour to Kaski, Baglung, Parbat ant Myagdi districts.

Meanwhile, the political parties have announced bandh (shutdown strike) in Magdi district on Friday to disrupt Shah’s visit.

District committees of seven political parties including UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress, UML, CPN-Maoist and CPN-United, called Myagdi bandh in protest of Gyanedra's plan to visit the district.

Organising a press conference at NC district office on Thursday, the bandh organisers said they would disrupt his trip as he was trying to take advantage of the country's political imbroglio.

Meanwhile, cadres of 10 political parties including UCPN (Maoist), NC, UML and CPN-Maoist demonstrated in Kusma Bazaar on Thursday protesting former king's visit to Gandaki and Dhaulagiri zone. nepalnews.com