Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup today announced that Nepal's new Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa will be on a three day visit to India from October 17-19. Thapa is invited by Indian Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj through a letter, Minister Thapa said at a press conference in the Captial on Thursday.
Kamal Thapa born 4 August 1955 is the current president of Nepal's only royalist party, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal. He served as a Home Minister during King Gyanendra's direct rule in 2006 until the king was forced to handover power to Girija Prasad Koirala of the Nepali Congress Party and his allies with Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) and Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). "Thapa and his party are on a signature campaign, asking for a referendum to decide the fate of monarchy, and the former minister is camping in his home constituency Hetauda as well as the Terai districts, trying to drum up support for the restoration of the crown. Mr. Thapa claims that no political parties in Nepal possess the guts who could safeguard Nepali Nationality. "Now the onus lay only with the institution of monarchy to safeguard Nepali sovereignty and National Unity", says Thapa. He also dared the government to re-investigate the royal massacre and dig out the truths. "Those blaming former King Gyanendra Shah for the massacre are now holding power in the government. I challenge them to track down the guilty." [3] RPP-N organised bandh (Close Down) on 22 February 2010 as part of its agitation demanding timely promulgation of constitution, end of current problems like load shedding and the current political deadlock and referendum on some key issues to be incorporated in the new constitution including constitutional monarchy, Hindu nation and federalism
