Nepal, Jan. 4 -- Pro-monarch activist Durga Prasai has alleged that Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Mayor Balen Shah and Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chair Rabi Lamichhane were groomed and trained by foreign powers.

Speaking at a program titled "National Resolve: Prithvipath" held in Kathmandu on Sunday, Prasai claimed that the so-called "new political faces" were selected and trained by the American Youth Council and the British Council before being sent into Nepal's political arena.

He alleged that individuals who were articulate, presentable, and charismatic were handpicked and trained, with Balen Shah being the first "test case." According to Prasai, after Balen's success, Lamichhane was pushed forward in the parliamentary elect...