KATHMANDU: Royalist activist and medical entrepreneur Durga Prasai, currently in custody at Dillibazaar Jail, has released an emotional public appeal addressed to his supporters, family, and the Nepali public.
In the message, shared via his secretariat through Facebook, Prasai reflected on his imprisonment, expressed longing for his family, and vowed to continue his nationalist campaign even from behind bars.
In his statement titled “From the Darkness of Dillibazaar Prison”, Prasai recounted how much his grandson misses him, adding, “When my family tells him I’ll be back soon, he looks at my photo on a mobile phone. Part of me thinks, should I call him here to play with me for a while? But then I hesitate, what would he think seeing his grandfather inside prison?”
Despite the circumstances, Prasai claimed he remains committed to building the nation and continues to dream for Nepal’s future, even in confinement.
He insisted his arrest was not due to criminal actions but the result of a political conspiracy.
“While I was leading a peaceful protest, police claimed to have taken me into custody, but in reality, I wasn’t detained until later. This wasn’t a weakness but an effort to maintain unity,” he stated.
Prasai claimed he has been targeted for speaking out against political injustice, corruption, smuggling, and the misuse of secularism. Calling for national solidarity, he urged all patriotic citizens to unite in defense of the nation, nationalism, and Sanatan Dharma.
“As a small thread can take us back to our roots, we too can return to our culture and traditions to rebuild our beloved old Nepal,” he wrote, hinting at a future “powerful and positive movement.”
He also described his arrest as politically motivated. “My driver was forced out of the car, and the police drove it away. Though they claimed I was already under arrest, I wasn’t. I was peacefully sitting outside when I was detained,” he said. “If anyone calls this a weakness, I want to say—it was an expression of love for my nation.”
Prasai, who has faced criticism for his involvement in violent royalist protests—including one on March 28 in Kathmandu’s Tinkune that left two people dead—has defended his actions. Authorities allege he incited the crowd by shouting “Come, come,” and later attempted to run over police officers during a march toward Parliament. He fled and was arrested on April 8 in India’s Assam state.
The Kathmandu District Court ordered him into pretrial detention on June 13. He is currently in custody awaiting trial.
In the appeal, he also lamented missing his daughter’s return from abroad after completing her medical studies. “It was my dream to welcome her at the airport and show my pride. But now that dream is just a dream,” he wrote, adding that he continues to pray for the wellbeing of others, despite his own situation.
Recalling his humble beginnings, Prasai spoke about his mother, his decision to build a medical college instead of pursuing a government job, and his belief that all of it was only possible through divine will. “I couldn’t study much, nor did I fulfill my mother’s dream of becoming a civil servant. But I built a medical college, gave jobs to thousands. Was this possible without God’s will?” he reflected.
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