Ramesh Raj Bastola, a recently government-appointed tourism promoter, was fired for waving banners with the former king during a recent protest in Kathmandu. Bastola, in a statement, said he believed a constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy were the way to go and criticized the current “corrupt” government. He said he did not want to work in such a government.
Subsequently, on March 10, 2025, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation deemed his written explanation inadequate and dismissed him from the position. According to a statement issued by the ministry’s information officer, Gokarna Prasad Upadhyay, the dismissal has been made following a decision at the ministerial level.