Nearly one dozen persons have been injured after YCL cadres foiled the monarchists’ rally on Saturday.

The YCL cadres attacked a couple of persons claiming they were planning to greet the King on his 61st birthday. According to Radio Nepal, nine persons have been injured. Such sporadic and small clashes had occurred in areas like Bhotahity, Asan, New Road, Sundhara and Lainchaur.

Police on guard in front of the Narayanhiti royal palace, Kathmandu, as King Gyanendra?s supporters take out a rally marking his birthday, Saturday (July 07 07). Students and cadres of the the ruling eight-party alliance organised protests against the diamond jubilee birthday celebration the King who has been stripped of all his rights. nepalnews.com/rh

Earlier, supporters of King Gyanendra had taken out a small rally at Durbar Marg, in front of Narayanhiti royal palace, on Saturday morning. Their plan to organise a rally from Tundikhel was blocked by cadres of political parties.

Scores of people had gathered at Durbar Marg, and chanted slogans against the eight parties and in support of the King, who has been stripped of all his powers.

Cadres of the Maoist sister organisations, All Nepal National Independent Student Union Revolutionary (ANNIFSU-R) and Young Communist League (YCL), staged demonstration at Ratnapark in the morning in an attempt to foil a rally planned by the King’s supporters. The royalists, however, didn’t organise the rally in the area.

Former prime ministers Surya Bahadur Thapa, Lokendra Bahadur Chand and Kirti Nidhi Bista and former royalist ministers Niranjan Thapa, Roshan Karki, Buddhi Man Tamang, Kamal Thapa and Mohammad Mohsin were among those who lined up to extend birthday greetings to the King this afternoon.

While the royalists proceeded towards the palace from Durbar Marg, the Maoist cadres were demonstrating around Ratnapark, Bhadrakai, Shahid Gate and New Road. Large number of Nepal Police and Armed Police personnel were mobilised in and around Durbar Marg in view of possible confrontation.

On Friday, the palace had requested the government to provide security during the Diamond Jubilee birth celebration of the King. The Home Ministry had instructed district security committee to make necessary security arrangement.