Fact-Check: Edited Video Claiming Sunita Dangol Apologized to Balen Goes Viral
साउन २, २०८२ १६:३३
Fact-Check: Edited Video Claiming Sunita Dangol Apologized to Balen Goes Viral
Kathmandu (Hikmat Acharya, TechPana Fact Check): A video claiming that Deputy Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Sunita Dangol, apologized to Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen) has gone viral on TikTok and Facebook since Monday.
The video stitches together several clips to support the claim. But Techpana’s fact-checking shows the video is misleading. The edit makes it appear as though Dangol apologized to Balen. In reality, she apologized to the public for the delay in presenting the city’s budget.
Claim
A TikTok user named Aniket and another user, BP Yadav, uploaded the video on July 14, 2025 (Ashar 30, 2082). The caption reads ‘सही’ (Correct)” The video text says: “बल आखा खुलियो, सुनिता ज्यु लाई ।” (Finally Sunita ji’s eyes are opened.)
Below that, another line reads: “ बालेन सरकार संग माफी माग्दै । सबै जना एक जुट भएर अगाडी बढ्नु पर्छ। (Apologizing to the Balen government. Everyone should come together and move forward.)
In the clip, Dangol is shown saying, “Chairperson of the meeting, Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Mr. Balendra Shah, on behalf of myself and on behalf of the City Council members, the metropolis, and the stakeholders’ institutions, we request your forgiveness. Our collaboration has already reached three years. People’s expectations are high. In the coming days, I promise that we, the people of the city, will do our best to help. There have been many disagreements, but we are talking things through. Solutions are starting to appear, and today we come together again as one.”
(See: original post, archived post, and screenshots.)
Investigation
After BP Yadav shared the video on TikTok, Techpana’s Fact-Check Desk reviewed similar posts. It found that a TikTok account named ‘agsmountain’ had uploaded the same video earlier, around midnight on Monday. That video was labeled ‘३ महिना अघी’ (3 months ago) and included the word ‘अहिलेः’ (Now) midway, just before a new clip of Dangol appears.
In the first part, she says: “Will the country be built by stunts? It should be built by planning and proper work. Work must be done with honesty.” This is from an older, verified video. The second part features a separate clip where Dangol says: “Chairperson of the meeting, Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Mr. Balendra Shah, on behalf of myself and on behalf of the City Council members, the metropolis, and the stakeholders’ institutions, we request your forgiveness.”
At the time of this fact-check, the edited video had over 31,000 likes, 952 comments, 2,894 shares, and more than 550,000 views.
(See: original video, archived video, and screenshots.)
A Facebook user named Unique Lamsal also shared the video with the caption: “बालेन लाई घुडा टेकाउछु भन्ति अहिले आफैंलेघुडा टेकिछे : केपी को नातिनी ।” (Those who wanted to make Balen take the knee have done it themselves: KP’s granddaughter.)
(See: original post, archived post, and screenshots.)
Another Facebook user, Raju Adhikari, posted the same video with the caption: “बालेनलाई घुडा टेकाउछु भन्नेको हालत माफि मासिमित रहयो । जब आफ्नो बौधिक्ताले सक्दैननि त्यहा बालेन काफि छ ।” (Those who said they’d make Balen take the knee have asked for forgiveness themselves. Balen is enough for those who can’t think for themselves.)
(See: original post, archived post, and screenshots.)
Searching Facebook using keywords like ‘बालेन’, (Balen), ‘Sunita’, (सुनिता), and ‘माफी’ (Mafi) shows multiple identical videos from different accounts.
Verification
To verify the claim, Techpana reviewed the full live broadcast of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City Council’s 17th session, where the upcoming fiscal year’s budget was presented.
The full video runs over 1 hour and 25 minutes. Dangol began her first speech at 50:03. She addressed Mayor Balen directly between 55:05 and 55:10-- just five seconds. She then addressed other officials and paid tribute to the martyrs.
After Mayor Balen presented the budget, Deputy Mayor Dangol delivered a second speech at 1:24:30. It lasted about 34 minutes. At 52:16, she used the word “forgiveness.”
At that point, she said she was apologizing, on behalf of herself, the City Council members, the metropolis, and stakeholders for not presenting the budget and related programs on time.
The video going viral combines these two separate parts: her greeting to Mayor Balen at the beginning, and the apology to the public two minutes later. The edit removes everything in between, creating a false narrative.
Script excerpt from Deputy Mayor Dangol’s speech:
“Jyojyolappa, Namaskar. Chairman of the meeting, Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Mr. Balendra Shah, members of the City Assembly, Secretary of the meeting, employees of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, all the distinguished dignitaries who are present in the City Assembly representing various sectors, media friends who are broadcasting this program through sign language and other means, and all the dignitaries who are joining the live broadcast of this program from home and abroad.
First of all, on this important occasion, I pay my heartfelt tribute to the immortal martyrs who sacrificed their precious lives for the establishment of a federal democratic republican system of governance.
Today, we are present at the first meeting of the 17th session of the City Assembly of Kathmandu Metropolitan City. In this meeting, we are in the process of presenting and discussing the annual policy and program, financial bill and appropriation bill for the upcoming fiscal year 2082/83.
Mr. Speaker and members of the Municipal Assembly, in terms of submitting the annual policy, program and budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2082/83, we have fallen behind the deadline set in the Local Government Operation Act 2074.
In the past few days, some mistrust and some bittersweet experiences have been shared among us. Accusations have also been made. Everything is being churned out. Solutions to the problem are also emerging. And today we are once again present in this dignified assembly as one. On my own behalf and on behalf of the members of the Municipal Assembly, we apologize to the residents of the metropolis and the concerned bodies for not being able to submit the policy program and budget for the upcoming fiscal year on time. Despite the delay, the annual…”
It appears the viral video was created by stitching together only the highlighted parts above.
No major media outlet has reported that Deputy Mayor Dangol apologized to Balen. The viral video uses unrelated and outdated clips. It removes parts where she addresses other officials and edits her speech in a way that lacks continuity. These elements strongly suggest the video was manipulated to create a false impression.
Claim
Kathmandu Metropolitan City Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol apologized to Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen)!
Claimers
BP Yadav, AGS Mountain TikTok ID, Unique Lamsal, Raju Adhikari, and other Facebook users.
Fact
Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol did not apologize to Mayor Balen Shah. She apologized to the public and relevant agencies for the delay in presenting the city’s budget, policy, and programs during the 17th session of the City Council.
The viral video combines separate clips from her speech to falsely suggest that she apologized to the mayor.
Conclusion
The claim that Sunita Dangol apologized to Balen is false and misleading. The viral video edits unrelated parts of her speech to misrepresent her message. Dangol’s apology was directed at the public-- not the mayor.
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पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: साउन ३, २०८२ १९:२५
