Person holding Adityanath's photo at royalist rally flees to Gorakhpur

Kathmandu, March 12 — Pradeep Bikram Rana, who carried a photo of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at the welcome rally for former King Gyanendra Shah on Sunday, fled to Gorakhpur, India. 

In an interview with Indian media outlet Navbharat Times, Rana stated that the Nepal Police was searching for him, which led him to seek refuge in India. He mentioned that the police had been deployed to arrest him, prompting his flight to India.

The 58-year-old Rana fled Nepal on Tuesday and arrived in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, according to Navbharat Times. He further alleged that the Nepal Police believes a conspiracy has been plotted against the current government of Nepal, supposedly in collaboration with the Indian government and Yogi Adityanath.

Rana revealed that he had gone to Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu to welcome King Gyanendra as he returned from Pokhara on Sunday, and during the event, he had carried a poster of the former King and Yogi Adityanath together. He stated, "I admire Yogi ji for his continuous struggle for Hinduism and Hindutva. He is a global leader for all of us. I personally like him a lot based on my religious beliefs."

However, Rana clarified that he has never met Yogi Adityanath. He explained, “I have never met any Indian politician, let alone taking money from them. I respect my King Gyanendra Shah and Yogi Adityanath Ji. My only mistake was carrying the poster.”

Rana further expressed his strong stance on Nepal becoming a Hindu nation once again. He vowed to continue his struggle for the reinstatement of the monarchy and the return of Nepal to a Hindu state as long as he lives.

“I barely managed to escape and hide. My fight to restore the monarchy and make Nepal a Hindu nation will continue for as long as I breathe,” he said.