Acharya, Thapa pawns of Palace: Koirala KOL Report KATHMANDU, Aug 16 - Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala, for the first time, has accused party member Narhari Acharya and Gagan Thapa, former general secretary of the Nepal Students? Union (NSU), of being Royalists. ?Both Acharya and Thapa are the pawns of the royal palace? district-level NC activists quoted Koirala as saying in Biratnagar Tuesday. Koirala also said the palace was using Acharya and Thapa as a weapon to disband the party. Koirala had reached his hometown after inaugurating the 10th general convention of the NSU in Pokhara on Monday. ?The picture is clear,? he told party cadres, adding, ?The palace detains and releases whenever it wants.? Reports said Koirala earlier asked if there were any media person before commenting on Acharya and Thapa. Meanwhile, the NC cadres in Morang have expressed dissatisfaction over Koirala?s remarks. The party activists blamed Koirala of marginalizing promising leaders who did not come from his family background. An outspoken leader and an staunch aide of Koirala, Acharya, who was released from five-month custody after the Feb.1 royal takeover, has been calling for statutory changes in the party to move forward as an absolute democratic political force. He has also been advocating the party to opt for the constituent assembly. Meanwhile, reacting to Koirala?s allegations, Thapa told Kantipur Online that it was not a new thing within the party?s history. ?It?s a conspiracy to undermine the growing power of some leaders with different opinions within the party,? said Thapa. ?Republic is not our demand? Koirala also said that his party is against the republican set up in the country. ?We are not demanding for republic,? Koirala said. ?It is just a bargaining point to warn the King.? He said that the monarchy should not be discarded from the country, adding, ?We just cautioned the King to bring him inside the law.? (dds/snn)