Statue of King Gyanendra's father vandalised

KATHMANDU: Maoist cadres on Tuesday vandalised the statue of late monarch Mahendra, father of King Gyanendra, in Nepal's capital and installed their party flag on it.

Chanting anti-King and pro-republican slogans, the cadres of Maoists' student wing All Nepal National Free Students Union-Revolutionary attacked the statue with iron
rods and stones before placing on top of it their red flag, witnesses said.

Police at the scene did not intervene, they said.

Maoists had on Sunday collected one million signatures in favour of making Nepal a republican state and handed it over to Speaker Subhash Nemwang.

The Maoist lawmakers also registered a motion of public interest to declare Nepal a republic through Parliament.