The Nepali government Friday afternoon released a total of 258 people who had been under house arrest for two months including Nepali Congress President and former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, the Home Ministry said Saturday.

The 82-year old Congress veteran and others were placed under house arrest soon after King Gyanendra dissolved the coalition government on Feb. 1.

Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy to Nepal welcomed the release of Koirala.

"We hope this step and the earlier release of Sher Bahadur Deuba, president of Nepali Congress (Democratic) party, ...will pave the way for the beginning of a process of reconciliation between the constitutional forces leading to a restoration of multi-party democracy," the embassy said in a statement.

"It has always been our conviction that a broad national consensus is necessary to address the serious challenges confronting Nepal. India will continue to support all efforts in this direction," the statement added.

Source: Xinhua