Gyanendra receives grand welcome in Nepali Congress turf

The slogans raised by the crowds there were clearly political. “King you come back and save the country,and the people are with you,” the swelling crowds cheered when Gyanendra had covered a 750-metre route from the airport.

Soon after lunch,the former king met some people,mostly youths. Many of them claimed that they were losing hope due to the political parties’ failure to rule the country properly,a source told The Sunday Express. However,Gyanendra refused to speak to mediapersons,merely advising them to “report truthfully whatever our leaders are speaking”. Gyanendra then took a regular service flight to Biratnagar and went back home.

He chose not to cancel his trip even though local organisers had expressed reluctance to host him,following a threat from the Maoists. “He insisted on going there and established a direct rapport with the people,” said Rabin Dahal,an educationist.

The former king has been going around the country ostensibly on “pilgrimage”,and a section of the ruling coalition has been accusing him of trying to take advantage of the current political instability.