A large number of supporters gathered outside the main gate of Tribhuvan International Airport to welcome former King Gyanendra Shah after he returned to Kathmandu from his visit to Jhapa.
Activists from pro-monarchy and nationalist groups welcomed the former king by waving national flags and chanting various slogans. Among those present at the airport to receive him were Durga Prasai, coordinator of the Nation, Nationality, Religion, Culture and Citizen Protection Campaign, and Kamal Thapa, a leader of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), along with other supporters.
Security arrangements were tightened in and around the airport in view of his arrival. The Kathmandu District Administration Office had issued a month-long prohibitory order in the airport area, banning gatherings of more than five people. However, supporters defied the restriction and assembled in large numbers.
Police maintained high alert from the airport to Nirmal Niwas. A large number of police personnel were deployed under the command of a Superintendent of Police (SP). Supporters chanted slogans such as “King, come and save the nation,” and some waved in greeting as soon as they saw the former king’s vehicle.
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