Josy Joseph
Tuesday, April 15, 2008 20:19 IST
And the king’s new home could be a palace in Rajasthan’s Sikar district, hometown of his daughter-in-law Himani — wife of
According to dependable sources crucial to
Authoritative sources told DNA that Sikar was the first place of choice for Gyanendra a few years ago when he secretly contacted the Indian government for safe passage as the anti-monarchy protests were threatening to overrun the palace.
Those involved in the secret negotiations were not willing to disclose who the interlocutor was, but indications are that Karan Singh, scion of the erstwhile royal family of
And now with a Maoist-dominated constituent assembly certain to declare
Once the election results to the 240 seats that went to the polls are declared, another 335 members would be nominated by political parties based on the proportion of votes.
The remaining 26 seats in the 601-member constituent assembly would be nominated by the interim government that would be formed over the next few days. Overall, the Maoists are expected to dominate the assembly.
And among the assembly’s first steps would be the abolition of the 240-year-old monarchy and the dethroning of Gyanendra, who took over
If the king decides to stay back, he could be prosecuted for his “crimes of the pastâ€. And even if he is allowed to lead the life of an ordinary citizen, the possibility of action against him would always loom large. He, therefore, would be prompted to leave the country or may himself opt for it.
Last time when the king had sought safe passage, the Indian government had no objections. A senior official said “there is no change in our positionâ€.
Sources close to the
“He is a very smart investor,†says someone very familiar with the royal family, talking about the way Gyanendra has gone about diverting his investments outside
But Gyanendra’s preferred destination would be
Unless there is any counter-pressure from the Nepal Maoists,
Source : DNA India