KATHMANDU, April 21: Nepal’s embattled King Gyanendra on Monday angrily denied that he will be heading into exile following a victory by former Maoist rebels in elections.

A statement from the royal palace rejected what it said were “malicious reports appearing in sections of the national and international media in recent days against the royal palace.”

“The reports referred to are about his majesty going to India,” a palace source said. “He will not be going anywhere. He is not going to leave the country.”

Maoist spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara said on Monday the leftists did not care where the king intended to go – as long as he understood he would lose the last trappings of his royal life.—AFP