A five-party Indian delegation led by Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechuri was greeted with black-flag demonstrations and stone-pelting by hundreds of pro-monarchy activists upon its arrival in Kathmandu on Wednesday.

Shouting anti-India slogans, a crowd of about 200 threw stones at the vehicles emerging from the Tribhuvan International Airport, carrying the delegation, which is the first high-level Indian delegation to visit Nepal since King Gyanendra seized power in February.  

Reacting to the pro-monarchist demonstrators, Yechuri said, "We are here to back democracy and showing black flags is also a democratic exercise, so we got a very passionate welcome. Some people threw stones, but luckily they didn't hit us."

Photograph:DEVENDRA M SINGH/AFP/Getty Images