In the first political level contact after the royal takeover in Nepal, External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh on Friday met King Gyanendra and sought speedy release of political prisoners and lifting of emergency and media censorship in the Himalayan kingdom.

The 45-minute meeting came amid indication that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] may also meet the monarch on the
sidelines of the ongoing Asian-African Summit in Jakarta.

This is the monarch's first visit abroad after he seized power on February 1 and imposed emergency, drawing strong condemnation from the international community, including India, the United States and Britain.

Also see: Nepal sets free 61 political detainees

Though the king met the Indian ambassador in Kathmandu a week after the royal coup, he was apparently upset over New Delhi's tough position and had delayed till recently meeting the envoy when he requested for a second audience.

The minister impressed on the king that a process of reconciliation should be initiated between political parties and the constitutional monarchy leading to restoration of multi-party democracy in Nepal.

He conveyed India's strong belief that the problems confronting Nepal, including the Maoist insurgency, could be addressed only on the basis of national consensus between the two constitutional forces in Nepal, Indian officials said.

The King explained the circumstances that led to the declaration of emergency and outlined the steps that he had already taken and proposed to take soon to lift the emergency and restore democratic process in the kingdom.

He said that he was looking forward to meeting the Indian prime minister during the Summit.