Claim
Minister for Communication and Information Technology Jagdish Kharel said the country is being run by brokers.
Fact
Viral video shows an old clip of Kharel making a political comment when he was only a journalist.
A video claiming to show a clip of Minister for Communication and Information Technology Jagdish Kharel saying that the country is not being run by the prime minister but brokers is going viral on TikTok.
A journalist known for his sharp questioning in a talk show on Image channel, Jagdish Kharel was appointed as Minister for Communication and Information Technology in Nepal’s interim government after the fall of erstwhile KP Oli led administration due to Gen Z protest of September 23 and 24.
Against this backdrop, TikTok user @adrizvlo posted a video carrying a clip of Jagdish Kharel speaking on camera. In the clip, Kharel says, “One thing I can clearly say is that the country is not being run by the prime minister. This is a bitter reality. No matter who the prime minister is or whichever party is in the government, the country is run by brokers.”
Text superimposed on the video reads, “This country is being run by brokers: Communication Minister Kharel. The country has gone.” A person narrating the video says, “Hello friends, you must be sure now. You heard from Jagdish Kharel’s mouth that the country is not being run by the prime minister. Please comment on who you think the country is being run by.”
The video posted on Nov 1 has garnered 3593 likes, 497 users have shared it and 191 people have commented on it. The archived version of the TikTok video can be seen here.
Newschecker found the claim to be misleading.
Fact Check /Verification
To check the veracity of the claim, Newschecker split the video into several key frames and ran reverse searches on them. A reverse search on a frame led us to a video, posted on the Facebook page of Laligurash Media, resembling the viral video. On checking the video, we found that the video showed Kharel expressing his discontent over Oli administration’s decision to remove Kulman Ghising from his post.
Further, we found a video, dated March 25, 2025, posted on the YouTube channel of Laligurash Media Network. On checking the video, we found that the video from 9.01-minute onwards exactly matched the clip carried in the viral video.
Nepal Electricity Authority Managing Director Kulman Ghising was removed from his post on March 23 following a tussle between the government and Ghising over the issue of cutting off power supply to industries.
Thus, our findings showed that the viral video shows an old clip of Kharel from March 2025 when he expressed his discontent over the sacking of Kulman Ghising as NEA chief. Ghising was appointed Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation in the interim government.
Conclusion
An old clip of incumbent Communication Minister Jagdish Kharel expressing discontent over removal of Kulman Ghising as NEA chief is being shared as recent. The viral video showing Kharel saying that the government is being run by brokers is old and irrelevant in the current context.
Result: Missing Context
Sources
Laligurash Media Network /YouTube, March 25, 2025
Laligurash Media /Facebook,
Kathmandu Post, March 24, 2025
