Nepal Shiv Sena launched

KATHMANDU, Jan 7: With a pledge to actively prevent `assertively oppose' conversion a political party calling itself the `Nepal Shiv Sena...

KATHMANDU, Jan 7: With a pledge to actively prevent `assertively oppose’ conversion a political party calling itself the `Nepal Shiv Sena’ was launched here today keeping as its guiding principle Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s ideology.

The a new outfit aims to “preserve Nepal’s identity as a Hindu kingdom under constitutional monarchy” and to “further cement the traditionally cordial Indo-Nepal ties.”

Party president Kiran Singh Budhathoki expressed concern over the “influx of petro-dollars into Nepal to be used against Hinduism.” Aiming to be registered soon with the election commission here to be able to contest parliamentary elections, the party was described as a purely political entity as opposed to an older outfit — the eight-year-old Shiv Sena, Nepal, which also espouses Thackeray’s ideology but is engaged only in “religious activities.”

Here for the launch of the NSS was Shiv Sena’s Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Nirupam who extended on behalf of the Shiv Sena supremo an invitation forKing Birendra, the world’s only Hindu monarch, to visit Mumbai where he would be accorded a civic reception. According to Nirupam, he was officially assured that the invitation would be considered “positively.”