Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Chairperson Rajendra Lingden has called for public holiday on Poush 29 of Nepali month (January 13 this year) to observe Prithivi Jayanti as the National Unity Day. At a provincial mass gathering organized by RPP in Province No 2 Committee at Janakpurdham today, the newly elected chairperson Lingden shared, “We have submitted a memo to the Prime Minister to declare public holiday on coming January 13 to observe the day as the National Unity Day.”

Birth anniversary of late king Prithivi Narayan Shah is celebrated every Poush 29 of Nepali lunar calendar. The day marks the contribution of Prithivi Narayan Shah in the unification bid of modern Nepal. Blaming that the government had been hesitant to declare public holiday and observe National Unity Day till date, Lingden warned of nation-wide protest if the government does not declare January 13 as the public holiday.
“Prithivi Jayanti is not related to any political party neither a matter of any ideology. It is beyond ‘ism’ and ideology. Thus, we should not hesitate to observe the Prithivi Jayanti as the National Unity Day.”

“We lately see the trend of garlanding the photos of Mahatma Gandhi, Mao Zedong and Vladimir Lenin and how these figures are looked up to as the role models,” he hit out some political leaders and bemoaned that not much people and political leaders were idolizing Prithivi Narayan Shah.

“By the look of things, we can gauge how much big political parties were honest towards national unity and nationality,” he remarked, adding that RPP was a political party carrying agendas such as strengthening national unity, reinstating Nepal as a Hindu nation and reinstating monarchy.Expressing his concern over Nepal potentially being at the risk of annexation like Sikkim into India, Lingden asserted that his party was working towards reinstating monarchy since, he viewed, the king and the monarchy were the protectors of the national existence.

He also cautioned of religious war in future if the conversion of religion would continue unabated in the garb of secularism. He also voiced his concern over the growing rate of unemployment and big industries being shut down at this moment.

Also, speaking in the event RPP former chairperson Dr Prakashchandra Lohani opined that struggle was the only alternative to revive monarchy and reinstate Nepal as the Hindu nation and appealed one and all to be ready for the same. At the event held on the chairmanship of RPP Province No 2 chairperson Bharat Giri, party chair Lingden welcomed new cadres who joined RPP leaving behind their association with other political parties.