Maoist chief Prachanda has called upon the Nepalese interim parliament to completely abolish monarchy in Nepal.
Alleging that the King "is already hatching a conspiracy", Prachanda also accused Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala of trying to save the monarchy.
"Koirala does not have a clear view about monarchy. He always vacillates between the question of monarchy and republic. When I had conversation with Koirala five years back, I thought that he was trying to find artful ways to abolish monarchy but now I feel that he was trying to save the monarchy artfully," he told Karan Thapar's Devil Advocate programme on CNN-IBN.
"We don't trust King Gyanendra and his feudal institution of monarchy, which should be abolished immediately," he said.
"When he (Koirala) talks about ceremonial monarchy, giving some space to the King and sometimes he talk about the baby king, all these things proves that he was trying to save monarchy."
Not only the Maoists, but the whole country will protest if Koirala asks Gyanendra and Crown Prince to step down in favour of Hridayendra, Gyanendra's grandson, Prachanda said.
Asked about possible dangers from the military as army chief Rukmangad Katuwal has close relations with the King, Prachanda ruled out any possibility of coup, but admitted that some sections of the army may be active towards that end.
{{/usCountry}}Asked about possible dangers from the military as army chief Rukmangad Katuwal has close relations with the King, Prachanda ruled out any possibility of coup, but admitted that some sections of the army may be active towards that end.
{{/usCountry}}He praised India's role in Nepal. "Delhi played a very positive role in the ongoing peace process...We want special relations with India in the sense that we have open border, close cultural and traditional ties."