Nepal crown prince in hospital amid heart attack fears

The heir to Nepal's throne, Crown Prince Paras, who faces the abolition of his inheritance at an election in November, was Thursday rushed to hospital following reports that he may have suffered a heart attack.

Tight security measures surrounded the Norvic hospital in the capital as the 36-year-old was brought in, reportedly in an army vehicle with oxygen support, around 11 a.m.

King Gyanendra and Queen Komal reached the hospital amidst tight security.

The floor where the heir to Nepal's throne was being treated was out of bounds even for telephone callers.

Outsiders were not allowed in and the hospital staff could get inside only after a screening of their identity cards.

Paras, said to be fond of fast cars, hunting and frequenting discotheques late at night, was reported to have changed his lifestyle following the end of his father's government last year and the royal family's fall from grace.

The crown prince was said to have become a vegetarian, refusing drinks at his own birthday party and attending art of living courses. He was also said to have been growing his hair, following the hairstyle popularised by a Nepali film star.

With just 76 days left for an election that would for the first time ask people to vote between the king and a republic, the royal family has been passing through a grim period.

Even if the king manages to survive the constituent assembly election, there have been calls for axing Paras' inheritance and giving the crown to his son Prince Hridayendra instead.

In the past, when he had not been made crown prince, Paras was reported to have been involved in a car accident that killed a popular singer. However, he escaped legal action after someone else claimed he was driving the car and the royal family enjoyed legal immunity.

Several political leaders began a campaign and collected 10,000 signatures from people who urged then king Birendra to strip Paras of his royal title.

The crown prince is said to have vehemently opposed his father's decision last year to hand over power to the opposition parties after an uprising that paralysed the kingdom for 19 days.

This week, after three bombs went off in Kathmandu killing three women and injuring 26 people, the Maoists alleged in their mouthpiece publication that the crown prince had engineered the blasts.

(IANS)

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