Fact Check: Viral Screenshot Claiming To Be ‘Chat With Balen Before Deleting Post’ Is Fake
कात्तिक १६, २०८२ १५:५६
Kathmandu: Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah, also known as Balen, faced controversy over a social media post he made around midnight on Saturday. In the post, he used an offensive English word directed at the US, India, and China, as well as Nepal’s major political parties, the CPN (UML), Nepali Congress, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), and the Maoist Center.
The post later disappeared from Balen’s official Facebook page after drawing criticism. Following that, a screenshot of a chat allegedly showing a conversation with Balen before deleting the post has gone viral on Facebook. The screenshot claims Balen admitted to being drunk and deleted the post after a warning.
However, a fact check by TechPana Fact Check Desk has confirmed that the viral chat screenshot is edited and fake.
Claim
UML leader and outgoing MP Surya Thapa posted a long Facebook status at 6:36 a.m. on Sunday, including four photos. One of them claimed to show Balen’s post and a Messenger chat with him. The screenshot was captioned, “Conversation with Balen before deleting his post.” The conversation appeared as follows:
User: Hello Sir!
Balen: Hello bro
User: Ke upload garnu vako yasto?
Balen: Ke xa ra testo? Malai ta kei yaad xaina
User: Post check garnu ta, purai jhyap ma ho ku kya ho aaja rati
Balen: Check gardai xu…
Balen: Omg! ke post garecu yar yasto. Alikati piyeko, jhyap vaiyoxa. I have deleted it now.
User: Hora
Balen: Thanks yarr. Natra ta barbadai hunthyo ni.
As of this writing, Thapa’s post has received over 1,000 reactions, 25 comments, and 63 shares. See the original post, archived post, and screenshot.
In the same manner, Kamal Pathak has also made a post. His post has received more than 325 reactions, 138 comments, and has been shared 72 times. Users are also commenting on the same screenshot that is claimed to show the chat. See the original post, archived post, and screenshot.
Research
To verify the claim, TechPana Fact Check Desk searched for keywords such as “deleted post,” “my conversation with Balen,” and “conversation with Balen” on Facebook.
A user named Raju Pahari Darshan had posted the same screenshot with the caption:
“Word choice has no meaning! Position has no meaning! Diplomacy has no meaning! He has spoken and written indiscriminately! What did the people of Kathmandu think and vote for this mayor?”
That post had nearly 500 reactions, 158 comments, and 18 shares at the time of writing. See the original post, archived post, and screenshot.
Similarly, another Facebook user, Mahesh Dhungana, shared the same screenshot with the caption “My conversation with Balen before deleting this post.” His post received 73 reactions, 18 comments, and 5 shares. See the original post, archived post, and screenshot.
An online media outlet, Lokpath.com, also published an article titled “Balen’s status on Hark Sampang: ‘Long live the unconscious life!’” which included the same screenshot at the end of the report. See the original post, archived post, and screenshot.
Several other users have reposted the same image on social media.
To verify the authenticity of the screenshot, the Fact Check Desk analyzed the interface and layout. No version of Facebook Messenger displays the name and verified checkmark of the person being chatted with inside the chat window.
In the viral screenshot, Balen’s profile picture and verified badge appear at the bottom, attached to the chat, something that does not happen in Messenger. Typically, the profile icon is merged with the chat bubble, not separated from it.
When zoomed in, the name and verified badge in the screenshot touch the chat bubble that reads “Omg! ke post garexu yar yasto. Alikati piyeko, jhyap vaiyoxa. I have deleted it now.” This indicates that the name and badge were later added to an existing chat.
The actual conversation was likely with a different user, and Balen’s profile image and name were inserted afterward to make it appear real.
Based on this evidence, the screenshot is confirmed to be fake and was circulated on social media to create confusion.
Claim
Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen) was in a chat with a user before deleting his controversial social media post, admitting that he was drunk and deleted it after being warned.
Claimants
UML leader and former MP Surya Thapa, Kamal Pathak, Raju Pahari Darshan, Mahesh Dhungana, and other social media users.
Fact
The viral screenshot claiming to show a chat between Mayor Balen and a user is fake. In Facebook Messenger, the profile name and verified badge do not appear next to the chat bubble. In the viral image, the chat and verified mark are not aligned and appear digitally altered. The original conversation was with another user, and Balen’s profile and name were added later to spread misinformation.
Conclusion
The viral screenshot claiming that Mayor Balendra Shah had a chat with a user before deleting his controversial post is fabricated. The image was digitally edited and shared on social media to spread confusion among users.
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पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: कात्तिक १७, २०८२ १०:२३
