Khatiwada in New Delhi. Picture by Prem Singh

New Delhi, Sept. 27: Pradip Khatiwada, the number two in the Nepalese embassy here, has become the first victim of King Gyanendra’s wrath for his pro-democracy views. He has been recalled after two years in India.

A 1975-batch officer of the Nepal Civil Service, Khatiwada took up his posting as deputy chief of mission in India in August 2003. Such postings are normally for four years.

But early this month, Khatiwada got a letter from the Nepalese foreign ministry asking him to return to headquarters within a month. He is scheduled to leave for Nepal tomorrow.

The diplomat’s only “crime” seems to be his pro-democracy views. Though he never aired them in public, his detractors in the foreign ministry were aware of them.

During an earlier posting in India in 1993, he had written a book, Nepal-India Relations, based on his experiences in Delhi and the Indian perspective of the 1990 “pro-democracy movement” in Nepal.

Soon after, Khatiwada was posted in Washington but the Manmohan Adhikary government (led by the Communist Party) recalled him mid-way through his tenure for his critical views on the Left. This is the second time he has become the victim of his political views.

Khatiwada’s recall is being called a “routine transfer” by the Nepalese foreign ministry. But no reason has been given. He has not been informed about any new assignment or whether he will be given any at all.

A team of Indian political leaders and parliamentarians is leaving for Kathmandu tomorrow to show solidarity with the seven-party alliance of Nepalese parties fighting for restoration of democracy. Sitaram Yechury of the CPM and D. Raja of the CPI are among them.

The king is likely to see this as another indication that Delhi is trying to pressure him to restore democracy.

The delegation is visiting Nepal at a time when there is speculation that Gyanendra is likely to come down heavily on detractors with more anti-democratic measures.