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 (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal warned of capturing Singha Durbar and Baluwatar.
Fact
Viral videos are old and not related to the current political context.
Many old and unrelated videos of former Prime Minister and CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ allegedly showing him venting his anger at CPN-UML Chairman and incumbent Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli are being shared online after the government under his leadership was toppled on July 12.
Two such videos claiming that Maoist Chairman Dahal warned of capturing Singha Durbar and Baluwater allegedly after he was removed from power are going viral on TikTok.
TikTok user @suchanalaya.np1 posted a video showing Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ delivering a speech. The video also carries a collage of Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba. Text superimposed on the video reads, “Prachand’s deadly announcement. Prachanda launches a deadly attack on KP Sharma Oli and warned of capturing Singha Durbar and Baluwatar.” In his speech, Dahal says, “I warn you that hundreds of thousands of people will show up to picket Singha Durbar and Baluwatar. Nepali people have understood your regressive autocratic tendency bent on annihilating democracy.”
The video posted on July 29 has garnered 44.7k likes, 164 users have shared it and 2262 people have commented until the last count. The archived version of the TikTok video can be seen here.
Another, TikTok user @rsp_samarthak posted a video showing a speech of CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Text superimposed on the video reads, “Comrade Prachanda [Pushpa Kamal Dahal] has warned of a huge political shakeup. The Rastriya Swatantra Party has extended support to him. Comrade [Dahal] tells KP Oli to stop fooling the people. In the seven-minute long video, Dahal is heard saying, “First of all I would like to greet you. This stage was a little ahead and the crowd of people were up to Padmodaya College. Then we protested saying it is regression and counter-revolution. The achievement made by people by fighting for seven decades. You are aware of the nationwide protests we staged…”
The video posted on July 29 has garnered 13.8k likes, 153 users have shared it and 573 people have commented until the time of publishing this article. The archived version of the TikTok video can be seen here.
Fact Check /Verification
To check the veracity of the claims, Newschecker first thoroughly checked both the videos and noted some striking similarities such as the stage background, Dahal’s attire and a person wearing a blue mask standing behind Dahal. We found that both the videos were from the same event.
Video 1
We then split the first video into several key frames and ran reverse searches on them. A search led us to a video, dated February 10, 2021, published on the YouTube channel named Laligurans Media Network. We found that the video showing Prachanda’s speech from the 6.28-minute timestamp onwards exactly matched the first viral video. However, the video angle was slightly different.
Further, we ran a search on Google by using Nepali key-phrases from Dahal’s speech. The search led us to several articles (See here, here) from Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s address to a rally organised in February 2021 against the unilateral decision of then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. On checking an article published on Rato Pati online, we found that the video frame and the image carried in the article resembled the viral video. In the video, Dahal can be heard challenging Oli that he would capture Singha Durbar if need be.
On digging further, we found a video, dated February 10, 2021, published on the YouTube channel named ‘Nepalpukar Online TV’. On checking the 25-minute long video thoroughly, we found that the video from 0.40-minute onwards exactly matched first the viral video.
Thus, our findings show that the first viral video was clipped from Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s speech during a protest rally organised in Kathmandu against the dissolution of parliament by Oli in February 2021.
Video 2
Likewise, we also found that the video, dated February 10, 2021, published on Laligurash Media Network, showing Dahal waving to his comrades before addressing a rally, matched the second viral video.
Thus, our findings show that the viral videos were from February 10, 2021 when the then Nepal Communist Party leaders including Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Praachanda’ and Madhav Kumar Nepal organised a protest rally in Kathmandu against the dissolution of the parliament by then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
Conclusion
No, the viral videos don’t show former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal warning to capture the Singha Durbar and Baluwatar after the newly formed alliance of CPN-UML and Nepali congress toppled his government. The viral videos are actually from February 2021.
Result: Missing Context
Sources
Laligurans Media Network/YouTube, Feb 10, 2021
Setopati Online, Feb 10, 2021
Rato Pati Online, Feb 10, 2021
Nepal Pukar TV/YouTube , Feb 10, 2021
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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.
