The political climate in Nepal is currently thick with tension, as CPN (UML) Secretary Mahesh Basnet recently sounded the alarm during the launch of the party’s ‘Party Awakening Campaign’ in Lalitpur. At the heart of his address was the accusation that the UML is being systematically targeted by a sophisticated smear campaign designed to erode public trust in its leadership. Basnet framed these attacks not merely as political rivalry, but as a digital onslaught orchestrated from the shadows. By highlighting the rising influence of online platforms, he painted a picture of a party under siege, forced to defend its integrity against a barrage of coordinated misinformation that he claims is being disseminated with malicious intent.
Basnet’s rhetoric was particularly sharp when he characterized specific past events—specifically those occurring on the 23rd and 24th of the previous year—as existential threats to the nation itself. He accused various shadowy digital channels and international-leaning organizations, such as the ‘We Nepali Barbara Foundation’ and the ‘American Youth Council,’ of operating under the influence of foreign powers. His claims were grave: he alleged that these platforms served as conduits for radicalization, providing instruction on everything from manufacturing explosives to the systematic destruction of critical infrastructure, including government buildings and private enterprises. For Basnet, these were not just acts of protest, but deliberate assaults on the stability and sovereignty of Nepal.
The Secretary’s frustration was palpable when he pivoted to the current administration, which he accused of personal vendettas against the party’s top brass. He categorically rejected the allegations leveled against UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and Vice-Chairman Bishnu Paudel, describing the latter’s legal entanglement regarding land and industry shares as entirely fabricated and vindictive. Basnet warned that the UML would not sit idly by while its leaders were disparaged. He framed the situation as a moral crisis where those responsible for inciting violence walk free, protected by those currently in power, while his party’s leaders are forced to fight off, in his view, baseless smears.
The tone of his speech became deeply personal when he took aim at figures like Balen Shah and Sudan Gurung. Basnet challenged those who had previously threatened to arrest Chairman Oli, asserting that the party has kept a meticulous record of every such threat. His language was a stern reminder that, in the world of politics, actions have consequences. He questioned the sudden moral posturing of these individuals, juxtaposing their current reputations against their past financial dealings. By calling out specific names and suggesting that those who commit political “misdeeds” eventually face a reckoning, Basnet served notice that the UML intends to hold these figures accountable for the confusion they have stirred.
For the UML, the ‘Party Awakening Campaign’ is more than just a public relations effort; it is a declaration of war on the ideological and organizational front. Basnet explained that his party’s primary goal is to cut through the noise, first by clarifying these complex issues for its own cadres and then by taking a clear, factual narrative directly to the general public. He emphasized that the party organization is no longer content to react passively to these digital provocations. Instead, they intend to present a unified, aggressive stance, ensuring that their supporters are equipped with the arguments needed to counter the influence of those they perceive as destabilizers.
As the program drew to a close, it was clear that the political battleground in Nepal has shifted significantly, with digital platforms emerging as the new frontlines of conflict. Basnet’s message to his party and the public was a call to vigilance and intellectual resilience. The UML is preparing to confront what it describes as a climate of terror and misinformation, positioning itself as the voice of order against what it considers to be politically motivated chaos. Whether or not his accusations change the public discourse, they undoubtedly signal an era of heightened hostility, where ideological survival depends on how effectively a party can control the narrative in the digital age.