Twenty-four hours after Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala reportedly threatened to push for a republic in the kingdom, party spokesman Arjun Narsingh K.C. said Friday there was a “conspiracy” and deliberate attempt to malign the party.

The party said Koirala’s remarks were misrepresented. K.C., in a hurriedly issued statement, said the kingdom’s oldest party was still committed to constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy. The party statement said the party’s attention has been drawn to the printed remarks of Koirala in Friday’s newspaper editions.

All the newspapers reported Friday Koirala threatened his party could push for a republic as it said King Gyanendra acted unconstitutionally in dismissing prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on October 4 by assuming executive powers.

Maoists have called for elections for a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution as they push for a republic in the world’s only Hindu state.