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Fact Check: Did Nepali Youth Protest Against Their Prime Minister For Lobbying In China's Support?
India, 2 July 2020 6:00 AM GMT
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The Logical Indian Fact Check team investigates the claim that Nepali youth have taken to streets to protest against their Prime Minister for lobbying in support of China.
A video showing a huge crowd chanting slogans and marching is being shared with the claim that Nepali youth have taken to streets to protest against their Prime Minister for lobbying in support of China.
"The people of Nepal have started a revolt against the Prime Minister of Nepal for brokering on behalf of China. Thanks to these residents of Nepal. May the brotherhood of India and Nepal remain intact (Translated from Bengali)" reads the caption of the post.
The post was shared by a page called 'Fusion A Dance Company' and has 5,800 followers.
The post has been shared over 8000 times and has garnered 421,000 views.
The Logical Indian received a request to verify the claims on its WhatsApp Fact Check (6364000343) number.
Claim:
Nepali youth have taken to streets to protest against their Prime Minister for supporting China.
Fact Check:
The claim is misleading.
A Google Reverse Image search was done by breaking the video into individual frames using InVid and related keyword search led to a Facebook Page called 'chandragirinews.com', which had uploaded the video on June 11 with the caption "Youths are still protesting in Baluwatar demanding Rs 10 billion. Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by a truck".
The video has been credited to a Pravin Agarwal.
Based on the information in the caption a keyword search was done which led to news reports on the incident.
According to a report by Kathmandu Post, hundreds of youths defied the government's warning against public gatherings and protests, and participated in peaceful rallies in various parts of the country on June 12, demanding accountability from the government regarding its overall handling of the COVID-19 crisis.
The report states that the KP Oli administration has repeatedly overplayed its role in the fight against COVID-19. Quarantine centres in Nepal are reportedly under-resourced, understaffed and overrun with people, making them a potential breeding grounds for coronavirus infection. The majority of the Covid-19 fatalities in the country have been confirmed posthumously.
Silence maintained by the Oli government was not favourably received by the Nepali population especially, the youth, who have been holding protests in different parts of the country. The demands of the protestors included improvement of conditions at quarantine facilities and wider use of polymerase chain reaction tests.
Protests were organized at Basantapur in Kathmandu, Dhulikhel in Kavre and Panga Dobato in Kirtipur among other places.
The police had reportedly, used a water cannon and lobbed teargas at a peaceful protest organised in Bhatbhateni. In an earlier protest on June 9, police had resorted to a baton charge and water cannons to quell around 150 protesters who had gathered in front of the prime minister's residence in Baluwatar.
The report mentions photographers who had covered the protests: Elite Joshi, Kiran Panday and Beeju Maharjan in Basantapur, Kirtipur and Dhulikhel.
One searching the Facebook page of one of the photographers, Elite Joshi, a photo of the protest was found, it was uploaded on June 11.
"Police employed a water cannon and lobbed teargas at a peaceful protest organised in the Capital against the government's lacklustre response to the Covid-19 pandemic," reads the caption of the post.
Below is a comparison of the photographer's image (right) and a screenshot from the viral video (left):
Therefore, a protest was indeed conducted by the Nepali youth, but it was against the Nepali government lukewarm approach on tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at factcheck@thelogicalindian.com or WhatsApp at 6364000343
Also Read: Fact Check: No, China Did Not Manufacture 'Boycott China' Goods
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