main actor for also making sure that Koirala stays out of the country in self-exile for the rest of his life. Koirala was in self-exile in Banaras, India until December 1976. After his return from almost a decade of self exile in Banaras, he was kept under house arrest in his Chabahil residence. During that time, King Birendra asked the then Prime Minister Dr Tulsi Giri, a tough political rival of Koirala to recommend him by the joint meeting of the Council of Ministers and Back to the Village National Campaign Central Committee, whether Koirala should be freed for medical treatment in the USA or not. Accordingly, the joint meeting recommended King Birendra to release Koirala and provide him with necessary expenses to undertake the medical treatment in the USA. The passport and necessary visa were arranged by the government of Nepal for Koirala and his wife Sushila Koirala, a doctor and an assistance. The then Royal Nepalese Embassy in the Washington DC, was instructed to provide all support to Koirala family for the medical treatment. King Birendra, educated in England and the United States, succeeded his father in 1972 when the political climate was believed to be gradually improving. Koirala, however, was arrested immediately upon his return from exile in 1976 and charged with the capital offence of attempting armed revolution. Finally, in March 1978, he was cleared of all treason and sedition charges. Then, in 1981, he was cleared to travel to the United States for medical treatment. The Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa convinced the king to allow Koirala to proceed to the US for treatment as per recommendation from the royal physician Dr. M. R. Pandey. The government of Nepal bore a portion of the cost of his medical treatment in the US, while the rest was arranged by his nephew Shail Updhaya, Dr. Shukdev Shah, family and friends. After returning from a further medical visit to the United States, he had a series of audiences with King Birendra, as he tried for a "national reconciliation". During the student demonstrations in 1979, he was under house arrest. However, he welcomed King Birendra's call for a national referendum on the question of the political system for Nepal. The referendum results were announced to be in favour of retaining the political system led by the B. P. Koirala was the first leader to welcome the result of the