TikTok Post Claiming Deputy Mayor’s Support for Lamichhane Is Misleading

A video has been circulating on social media purportedly showing Kathmandu’s deputy mayor, Sunita Dangol, endorsing Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane amidst calls for his resignation.

Lamichhane, also the chair of Rastriya Swatantra Party, has faced allegations of misappropriation of cooperative funds during his tenure as the managing director of Galaxy 4K Television. The opposition Nepali Congress has been pressuring him to step down over these allegations.

The video in question, shared by TikTok user @kapil_brother, overlays text suggesting Dangol’s unwavering support for Lamichhane during a public speech. The text reads: “Sunita Dangol stood like a pillar in support of Rabi Lamichhane. Don’t worry Rabi Dai despite Gyanendra (Shahi) demanding your resignation. I am with you.” The post also has an audio recording of Dangol’s address, in which she says, “Honorable Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane, Home Secretary, IGP sir, chief district officer, officials on the stage and representatives of various organizations.” (The TikTok post is no longer available)

A screengrab of the video of Dangol’s speech shared on a Facebook fanpage

Upon closer examination, we found that Dangol was speaking at a formal event organized by the Valley Traffic Police to raise awareness about road safety during the Nepali new year of 2081. Lamichhane inaugurated the campaign, according to My Republica.

A digital investigation by Nepal Check involved a reverse image search, leading to the discovery of a 17-minute video of Dangol’s speech posted on April 15, 2024, on a Facebook page named Sunita Dangol Fanpage. In her speech, Dangol spoke of her own experience being a volunteer traffic and highlighted the need to increase awareness on road safety. Contrary to the claim, Dangol made no mention of supporting Lamichhane in her address.

Therefore, the claim that Kathmandu deputy mayor Sunita Dangol supported Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Lamichhane is misleading.

ClaimClaimed byNepal Check Verdict
Kathmandu Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol supported Lamichhane in her speechTikTok usersMisleading
Nepal Check verdict after fact-checking claims that Sunita Dangol expressed support to Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane during her speech.

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This article is written by

Deepak Adhikari

Deepak Adhikari is the editor of Nepal Check. Over the last two decades, he has worked as a correspondent for international media and national publications in Nepal. His work has appeared in major international publications such as New York Times, The Guardian, Time, Al Jazeera, Nikkei Asia.