Tanka Dahal’s Sensational Post That Sparked Fake News of 32 Youths Killed Inside Parliament

Kathmandu: On September 8, the first day of the Gen-Z movement, at least 19 youths were killed by state forces in front of the Parliament building. That evening, at 8:47 pm, YouTuber Tanka Dahal posted on X (formerly Twitter).

His post read: “I have heard that 32 children have been kept under control inside the Parliament building. We request you to find out their whereabouts and make arrangements for their security. We hope that these children do not disappear.” (Translated)

The use of the word “disappear” drew attention. Its significance will be discussed later.

At 8:51 pm, four minutes later, Dahal posted the same message on Facebook, this time adding “Source: Eyewitnesses inside” at the end. At 8:52 pm, he also edited the X post to include “source: that same insider.” Even then, his post gave no details about who was holding the youths, when they were taken, or how.

Some users immediately reacted. One replied, “Don’t spread confusion.” Another wrote, “Who makes them disappear, sir?” Others accused Dahal of sensationalism. On September 10, user Santosh reposted the message, asking, “Oh, you’re still keeping it up? Haven’t you raised people by cultivating such confusion?” Paras Dhakal also quoted the post, saying, “You’re the one spreading confusion. Haven’t you removed it yet? Don’t you need to verify before repeating rumors?”

Despite the criticism, Dahal never posted a follow-up. But his claim quickly spread. Social media users copied and pasted the post. TikTok and Facebook videos amplified it. By the night of September 8, the idea that 32 people were being held hostage inside the Parliament building had gone viral.

The next day, September 9, YouTubers Bhagya Neupane and Sujan Dhakal pushed the rumor further. They released videos claiming that 32 people had been found dead inside the building. Their style was sensational and emotional. Neupane said: “It has come to light that the bodies of 32 people who went missing yesterday have been found dead inside the Parliament building. Who killed them and hid them? There is nothing more tragic than this. Ammamama…” (Translated) See TikTok clip 

Similarly, Sujan Dhakal said: “Very sad news has come. Yesterday, it was said that 32 brothers and sisters were being held captive inside the Parliament building. Today the news came out that 32 people were found dead inside the building while it was being set on fire. Ammamama, 32 people! The robbers killed people yesterday and today again. Very sad. What Gen-Z is doing is right. Please like and share so everyone can see this.” See the TikTok clip. 

In short, what began as Dahal’s post about “32 children under control” turned into widespread claims that “32 bodies had been found.”

On September 10, TechPana Fact Check published an article at 10:44 pm, concluding that the claim was unverified. That same day, Nepal Police also issued a statement confirming that reports of “32 bodies found inside the Parliament building” were false.

Still, Dahal offered no clarification. By September 14, Kantipur Daily and Ekantipur.com ran a story titled “These are the faces that spread the unverified claim of 32 hostages inside the Parliament building being found dead”, featuring photos of Dahal, Neupane, and Dhakal. The article explained how Dahal’s initial post had been modified into claims of mass killings.

After Kantipur’s report, Dahal finally responded. On September 15, he uploaded a YouTube video titled “Who has cultivated confusion? See the truth, understand it yourself!” In his defense, he said:

• It is true that 32 children were kept under control inside the Parliament building.

• I never said they were killed. I only said their condition should be made public.

• I got the information from an employee inside Parliament. 

• My post helped save 30–32 lives. Instead of praising me, Kantipur has branded me as someone who spread rumors.

• Half of them were released that night, the rest the next day.

To support his claim, Dahal played clips of people speaking in videos. One was former Colonel Madhav Sundar Khadka, who said, “My son has become a prisoner inside the Parliament building.” Another was Khadka’s son, Samrajya Khadka, who described being forced to sit for hours under threat of guns, his ID cards torn, and being labeled a terrorist.

But closer inspection revealed all three clips Dahal used as “evidence” were from the same family, two of them featuring Samrajya himself, and the third showing his father. Madhav Sundar Khadka later confirmed on Facebook that Samrajya is his son.

 

Samrajya himself gave inconsistent accounts. In one video, he claimed 30 people were detained in the Parliament building. Later, he said 160 had been taken. He also said they were held for five hours inside Parliament and then transferred to Bhadrakali for 24 hours, before being released on September 9.

This directly contradicts Dahal’s claim that his post led to the release of detainees on the night of September 8. Neither Samrajya nor anyone else confirmed that.

Meanwhile, Nepal Police reports and media coverage on September 8 stated that between 40 and 54 people were arrested in Kathmandu during the protests. Detentions are common during such demonstrations. But Dahal’s use of the word “disappeared” turned these arrests into a viral rumor of abductions and killings.

In reality, no evidence has confirmed that 32 people were detained, let alone killed, inside the Parliament building. Dahal’s post was the starting point of the rumor. Yet he never issued a correction or follow-up, even after the false claim spread widely.

By using sensational language and presenting shaky “evidence,” Dahal misled his audience and fueled one of the biggest pieces of fake news during the early days of the Gen-Z movement.

 

पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: कात्तिक १०, २०८२ १६:५८

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