KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 4

The secretariat of Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah has stated that Facebook removed his status, challenging Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to arrest CPN-UML provincial lawmaker Rekha Sharma on charges of child labour exploitation after numerous users reported it.

On Sunday, Mayor Shah posted a status with a photograph of a UML lawmaker from Lumbini Province, claiming that the Kathmandu Metropolitan City rescued a minor who was forced to do domestic chores at her home.

He accused Sharma of thrashing and exploiting the minor for eight years and asked Prime Minister Oli to arrest the lawmaker, noting that the court had already ruled that a case be filed against Sharma.

He sarcastically commented that good governance for Oli entails shedding crocodile tears over the girl's death and announcing Rs 100,000 in reparation via Facebook. He also asked when and if Sharma would be arrested.

'Honourable Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli Jyu. Good governance entails obeying a court order, which includes arresting your MP, Rekha Sharma, who has a history of child abuse.'

His post reads further, 'Perhaps for you, good governance implies shedding crocodile tears and making a hundred thousand Facebook announcements following the death of an innocent girl. When will you nab her?' he questioned.

Mayor Shah secretariat has claimed that the status was removed after numerous reports were received. 'Facebook did not understand the meaning and purpose of the status. Hopefully, the status that was removed by Facebook will be recovered,' Balen's personal assistant, Bhoop Dev Shah, wrote on his Facebook page.

Shah had also posted the same status on X, which is still there but not on Facebook. Meanwhile, UML cadres and leaders who had been slamming Shah over the status. Balen removed the post, realising his mistake.

Samik Badal, president of ANNFSU, the student wing of UML, wrote on Facebook today, 'Thank you, Balendra Shah! For taking down a misleading social media post. Representatives must be accountable for coordinating efforts and delivering outcomes. Creating despair and capitalising on it may benefit the individual, but it will have no benefit for the country.'

Meanwhile, Mayor Balen took to Facebook again, saying, 'Do not take down the post; arrest the accused. If I am wrong, apprehend me; if not, apprehend the guilty.'

Even though CPN-UML leaders and cadres, and Balen appeared to be engaged in social media post-battles, the actual issue is something else. This is due to restrictions on the construction of buildings and structures along Kathmandu's riverside.

The case was before the Supreme Court. KMC stated shortly after the court's full text was released that it would implement the decision.

The KMC notice states that the construction prohibition will now be extended to 40 metres on either side of the Bagmati, Bishnumati, and Manohara rivers.

The UML's Kathmandu district committee protested the municipal notice. On August 26, the committee also met with PM Oli to express its concerns and request a judicial review of the SC's decision.

Additionally, Deepak Niraula, president of the UML Kathmandu, submitted a 7-point memorandum warning the KMC that if the KMC is implementing the decision, unusual circumstances will arise, potentially leading to serious consequences.