(Recasts with new national anthem) By Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Nepal's King Gyanendra was blamed for last year's bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests in a report presented to parliament on Friday and, in another blow, the monarch was expunged from the nation's national anthem. The report said 201 others, including ministers in the cabinet headed by the king, bureaucrats as well as army and police officers were responsible for the action against anti-king protesters which led to 22 people being killed and thousands wounded.Separately, Nepal chose a new national anthem on Friday, replacing the one which eulogised the king as a hero and prayed for his prosperity, in the latest blow to the monarch. The new anthem, which was selected from 1,272 songs, makes no mention of the king but describes the Himalayan nation as a "garland of hundred flowers". "With this, the culture of praising feudalism and an individual in the national anthem has ended," said Pradeep Kumar Rai, who wrote the lyrics of the new anthem. "It now recognises that the people are the real source of state power." King Gyanendra sacked the government in 2005, became the chairman of the cabinet with absolute powers, jailed politicians and gagged the media saying he was acting to crush an anti-monarchy Maoist conflict in which thousands were killed. But last year, mainstream political parties supported by the Maoists organised street protests, forcing the monarch to hand power back to the parties. The report, prepared by a government-appointed panel, said the royal cabinet, including its chairman, had "misused power, authority and position and were responsible for the loss of life and property as well as the violation of human rights during the crackdown on the peaceful people's movement". It was not clear whether the monarch would face punishment following the report. There was no immediate comment from the royal palace. The government has already stripped King Gyanendra of most of his powers, including control over the powerful army. The Maoists, who began fighting against the monarchy in 1996, joined a multi-party cabinet in April under a peace deal with the new government. Under the deal, elections for a constituent assembly are due in November to decide the fate of the monarchy.
