Since the abolition of monarchy in Nepal in 2008, former king Gyanendra Shah has been ritually releasing statements on the eve of some special occasions such as the Democracy Day.

On February 18, he released a video addressing Nepalis on his reflections on the country’s trajectory over the past seven decades, emphasising the difficulties currently faced by the people. This Democracy Day message was his first direct appeal since his ouster to the people for “extending their support if they wanted to secure the nation’s future”.

Soon after, supporters of the monarchy stepped up their activities, which culminated in Sunday’s show of force seeking to reinstate the country’s oldest institution.

Shah, who was staying in the tourist city of Pokhara, was received by thousands of people as he emerged from the domestic terminal of Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on Sunday.

For the past few years, pro-monarchy groups occasionally staged demonstrations demanding reinstatement of the monarchy. But Sunday’s rally was more significant.

“The spontaneous turnout of the people on Sunday was incredible. This shows how frustrated the people are with the present government, and they are in search of an alternative to the present system,” Sagun Lawoti, a spokesperson for the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), which advocates for the restoration Hindu Kingdom in Nepal.

Following the success of the 2006 movement, Nepal was declared a secular republic in 2008 by the Constituent Assembly. Republicanism was enshrined in the new constitution in 2015.

According to Nepal Police spokesperson Dinesh Kumar Acharya, at least 10,000 people participated in Sunday’s demonstration.

“When around 10,000 people attended the demonstration, at least 1,000 police personnel were deployed to maintain order,” Acharya said, citing initial estimates.

Some supporters claimed the participation of at least 40,000 people. Sagar Timilsina, the former king’s personal secretary, said although they were still calculating, the turnout was encouraging. He added that they had no role in organising the event.

Earlier, on Wednesday, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and some pro-monarchy groups organised a motorcycle rally in Kathmandu.

In the past three months, Shah visited multiple places including Nepalgunj, Bhairahawa, Pokhara, Syangja, Baglung, Myagdi, Bardiya, Dang, and Taulihawa. Across the border, Shah also visited Lucknow and Gorakhpur in India during the period.

“[Former] King Gyanendra … returned to Kathmandu after almost three months,” said Phanindra Pathak, another aide to the former monarch. Most of the family members accompanied Shah during his tour of western Nepal, he added.

In Lucknow, Shah also met Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, India, who is considered a staunch supporter of Hindu Kingdom in Nepal.

A source privy to the former royals confirmed the visit but did not share details of the discussion in Lucknow.

Outside the airport gate, Shah emerged from the sunroof of his vehicle to greet supporters.

Meanwhile, people travelling via the Kathmandu airport were affected by traffic disruption on the Ring Road. Travellers were forced to carry their luggage and walk up to the airport due to security issues, said Superintendent Roshan Giri of Nepal Traffic Police.

Traffic police diverted vehicles from the Tinkune-Gaushala stretch as major streets in Kathmandu experienced congestion on Sunday, the traffic officer said.

According to Giri, at least 400 traffic police were deployed in Kathmandu Valley on the day.

When the former king’s supporters descended on the streets to escort him to his residence, Nirmal Niwas in Maharajgunj, some lawmakers spoke in Parliament against such a movement.

In the National Assembly, they drew the government’s attention to such anti-republican activities saying that they must be stopped.

Udaya Bahadur Bohara, a lawmaker from the CPN (Unified Socialist), warned that “attacks on democracy” would not be tolerated.

“For some time, rallies and demonstrations have been held in Kathmandu and other cities. These rallies not just target the government but also attack democracy,” Bohara said.

Nepali Congress lawmaker Yuvraj Sharma stated that instead of curbing the former king’s activities and silencing voices against the current political system, the KP Sharma Oli administration should ensure good governance by implementing the constitution in practice. Sharma argues that when the government starts delivering, campaigns against the system will naturally subside.

He emphasised the need for consensus and cooperation among the forces supporting republicanism.

Shah’s secretary dismissed the charges claiming that the demonstration was spontaneous and the former king’s office had nothing to do with it. “This is a politics of conviction,” Pathak claimed.

Political analysts said the support mustered by the pro-royalist forces on Sunday should be considered significant.

Sunday’s demonstration shows the public frustration stemming from successive governments’ failure to deliver since the second people’s movement in 2006, said Arun Kumar Subedi, a political analyst. “If the present system fails to address people's disenchantment urgently through policies and programmes, the country may have a serious political crisis.”