US ambassador to Nepal J. F Moriarty was not allowed to meet Girija Prasad Koirala, leader of the major opposition Nepali Congress, on Monday, reports said. President Koirala has been kept under house arrest following the King’s February 1 move.

Envoy Moriarty, who had gone to meet Koirala at his residence in Maharajgunj after returning from the US, was not allowed to meet the leader, Kantipur daily quoting embassy sources said.

It is the second attempt of the US envoy to meet Koirala after he has been kept under house arrest.

The US ambassador, among other various Kathmandu based diplomats recently returned to Kathmandu after briefing their respective countries about the latest political situation in Nepal.

The US, European countries and India have expressed concerns about the situation in Nepal urging for cooperation between the monarchy and legitimate political forces in the country. They have also stressed on the need to respect human rights and democracy in Nepal.