Sanjeeb Phuyal is the Nepali Editor of Newschecker based in Kathmandu, Nepal. He brings over a decade of experience writing and editing news. In his previous stint, he worked as online editor for The Kathmandu Post. With the growth of social media platforms—and the ever-growing competition amongst media outlets to churn out breaking news, he feels that fact-checking every piece of information has become more essential today than ever before.
Claim
CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli hospitalised after being assaulted in Dhankuta on December 14.
Fact
Viral video shows old image of Oli admitted at Manmohan Hospital in Kathmandu
A video allegedly showing former Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli hospitalised after being manhandled in Dhankuta district is going viral on TikTok.
Oli was manhandled by a local man on Thursday (December 14) while he was walking with fellow leaders and cadres in Mahalaxmi Municipality-5 of Dhankuta district as part of their march along the Mid-hill Highway.
Against this backdrop, TikTok user @k.a.r.707 posted a video carrying an image of CPN-UML Chief KP Sharma Oli. Text superimposed on the video reads, “Today this talkative old man known for his witty proverbs received a good blow requiring a hospitalisation. If he had been hit three or four times, he would have made it to ICU (Intensive Care Unit). Oli will never go back to Dhankuta.”
The video posted on December 14 has garnered 1508 likes, and 44 users have shared it until the time of publishing this article.
The archived version of the TikTok video can be seen here.
Newschecker found the claim to be misleading.
Fact Check /Verification
To check the authenticity of the claim made in the viral video, Newschecker took a key frame from the viral video and ran a reverse search on Google. The search threw up several results carrying an image resembling the frame of the viral video.
On checking an article, dated September 3, 2019, published on Nepali Times online, we found that the article carried the same image used in the viral video. The image caption in the article read, “PM Oli in Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Center after he developed respiratory illness from applying tika to the general public for four days straight in 2018.”
We also checked another article, dated December 4, 2019, published on Onlinekhabar, carrying the same image. The article confirmed that the image showed then PM KP Oli before his discharge from Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Centre.
We also checked several media reports and videos of a man trying to punch Oli in Dhankuta. But the media reports confirmed that the attempt to punch Oli by one “inebriated man” identified as Mahesh Rai was foiled by security personnel and UML Cadres.
Thus, our findings show that the video purportedly showing KP Sharma Oli in hospital bed with paramedics and his wife is old.
Conclusion
The viral video allegedly showing KP Sharma Oli hospitalised after being punched by a person in Dhankuta is misleading. Though Oli was attacked by a man in Dhankuta, he was not harmed and hospitalised as claimed in the viral video. The image carried in the viral video actually shows an image from November 2018 when he was admitted at Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Centre in Kathmandu.
Result: Partly False
Sources
Nepali Times, September 3, 2019
Onlinekhabar, December 4, 2019
Deshsanchar/YouTube, December 14, 2023
The Kathmandu Post /Online, December 14, 2023
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Sanjeeb Phuyal is the Nepali Editor of Newschecker based in Kathmandu, Nepal. He brings over a decade of experience writing and editing news. In his previous stint, he worked as online editor for The Kathmandu Post. With the growth of social media platforms—and the ever-growing competition amongst media outlets to churn out breaking news, he feels that fact-checking every piece of information has become more essential today than ever before.
