Nine days afer he stunned the region by dissolving the Sher Bahadur Deuba Government and taking the reigns of power in his hand, Nepal King Gyanendra today gave a 90-minute audience to the Indian envoy in Kathmandu.According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the King met Indian Ambassador Shiv Shanker Mukherjee this evening and explained the reasons for taking the drastic step. India, however, made it clear that it was important to remove ‘‘all restrictions’’ on political leaders imposed since February 1.The Indian envoy urged the King for a return to democratic processes at the earliest. ‘‘He emphasised the importance of bringing the political leaders into a broad national consensus to enable Nepal to overcome the political and economic challenges confronting it,’’ the MEA Spokesperson said.Mukherjee drew the King’s attention to New Delhi’s position as stated on the day he assumed power. India had made it clear then that it ‘‘consistently supported’’ multi-party democracy and constitutional monarchy, which it regards as the two pillars of political stability in Nepal. The King had, however, violated this principle by forming a government under his chairmanship.
