Student and youth organisations affiliated with the eight political parties are all set to submit a memorandum to the government Thursday afternoon to forbid the royal palace from throwing ‘high tea’ and ‘luncheon’ during King Gyanendra’s 61 st birthday celebrations. It also warned that if the King’s birthday bash is allowed to be held, then they would take to the streets in protest.

The ‘joint meeting’ of aforesaid student and youth organisations held Thursday morning at the Bagbazar office of CPN-UML aligned Democratic National Youth Federation (DNYF) in the capital city had reached the decision to this effect, and comes a day after the majority of the diplomatic corps in Kathmandu made it clear that they won’t be attending the King’s birthday bash saying ‘it would not send a helpful signal’.

The students have concluded that the public reception planned by the royal palace is against the spirit of Loktantra. They have said that the King who is not recognised by the constitution cannot throw such party in the capacity of the monarch.

The eight party affiliated student organisations also decided to stage a “huge demonstration and rally” on King Gyanendra’s birthday on Saturday. Student leaders said they would soon start the publicity campaign for the demonstrations.

The students also decided to put pressure on the government against setting aside any amount of money for the royal palace in the coming fiscal year’s budget and instead spend that money to set up an education fund and said they would take a joint initiative for establishing democratic republican set up.