Fact Check: Don’t Be Fooled, Balen Did Not Call Kulman Ghising An Opportunist
पुस २७, २०८२ १२:२
Kathmandu: Since Saturday afternoon, a post claiming that Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen) called outgoing minister Kulman Ghising an “opportunist” has been circulating widely on social media. The screenshot appears to be from Balen’s official Facebook page and includes serious allegations against Ghising.
However, the TechPana Fact Check Desk has confirmed that the post is misleading. Balen has not made any public comment about Kulman Ghising. The viral screenshot has been edited.
Claim
A Facebook user named ‘XD Facts’ posted a screenshot on Saturday, January 10, 2025, at 4:41 pm. The caption reads, “Kulman Ghising 😢 Balen Shah 🔔.”
Below the caption is a screenshot showing a photo of Kulman Ghising. Above it appears the verified mark of Balen’s Facebook page. The text in the screenshot reads: “Bhir maa jaaney goru lai Ram Ram bhanna sakincha tara kadh ma halna sakidaina. (You can warn a bull walking towards the cliff but cannot carry it on your shoulder) If Kulman Ghising disagrees with party unity out of greed for office, then he is not a patriot, he is just an opportunist.” (Translated)
As of the time of writing, the post has received more than 1,600 reactions and 241 comments, and has been shared 69 times.
See the original post, archived post, and screenshot.
Research
The TechPana Fact Check Desk searched for any Facebook post by Balen Shah related to Kulman Ghising from Saturday. No such post was found.
First, we analyzed the viral screenshot. A close look shows that the Facebook page name, verification badge, and timestamp were added later. The alignment does not match Facebook’s standard layout. The spacing between the profile icon, verification mark, and caption is also inconsistent. This confirms that the screenshot was edited. See the photo.
Next, we checked Balen Shah’s official Facebook page. His most recent page post was on December 30, 2025, where he thanked Sudan Gurung. No post has been published on the page since then. On January 8, 2026, Balen posted the following on his Facebook profile:
“Times may vary,
but the truth is always the truth,
in any situation, time and place!
Satyam Shivam Sundaram!!” (Translated)
No content related to Kulman Ghising appears on either his page or profile.
While searching for related news, no credible or official report was found stating that Balen accused Kulman Ghising of being an opportunist. According to Gorkhapatra, on Saturday, Ujjaya Party Nepal ended its unity with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). Soon after, Kulman Ghising was appointed party president.
Earlier, Balen and the RSP had formed a coalition. In this context, the edited screenshot appears to have been created to suggest conflict between Balen and Ghising or to mislead the public.
We also reviewed the Facebook page ‘XD Facts’. The page has a history of spreading misinformation using edited screenshots. On Saturday alone, it posted three separate screenshots falsely attributed to Balen Shah. These posts received thousands of reactions, comments, and shares.
At around 10:00 am on the same day, the page shared another edited screenshot claiming Balen had posted about CPN (UML) Chairman KP Sharma Oli. That post received more than 14,000 reactions, 1,200 comments, and over 543 shares.
The same page has also shared fake screenshots attributed to Hark Sampang and Rabi Lamichhane.
Claim
Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen) posted on Facebook calling outgoing minister Kulman Ghising an “opportunist.”
Claimant
Facebook user ‘XD Facts’ and other social media users who shared the edited screenshot.
Fact
The viral screenshot does not match Facebook’s standard layout. The verification badge, profile icon, and caption alignment confirm that the image was digitally edited.
There is no such post about Kulman Ghising on Balen Shah’s official Facebook page or profile. No new content has been posted on his page since December 30, 2025, and no related post appears on his profile after January 8, 2026.
The Facebook page ‘XD Facts’ has repeatedly created and circulated fake screenshots using the names of public figures, including Balen Shah, Hark Sampang, and Rabi Lamichhane.
Conclusion
The claim that Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen) called Kulman Ghising an “opportunist” is false. The viral image is a fake, edited screenshot made to appear as if it came from Balen’s official Facebook page. The post was created to mislead the public and spread confusion on social media.
Feedback
You can send us social media posts that need fact-checking via our website, social media handles (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, LinkedIn), or email us at [email protected].
If you have any feedback or suggestions regarding our fact-checking, please feel free to email us.
पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: पुस २७, २०८२ १२:२
