Nepal Politicians Trade Barbs on Facebook

A public feud has erupted on Facebook between Resham Chaudhary, guardian of the Nagarik Unmukti Party, and Ranjita Shrestha, a leader of the Nepal Communist Party.

Although neither politician has directly mentioned the other’s name, their recent Facebook posts have been interpreted as thinly veiled attacks on each other. Chaudhary and Shrestha are husband and wife.

Shrestha was the first to post a status on Facebook, criticizing those who create instability within their own organization. Her post came after Chaudhary met with lawmakers from the Nagarik Unmukti Party in the Far Western Province.

Shrestha accused her husband of trying to save his neighbor’s house while his own house is on fire, calling it a laughable situation. She also criticized his past actions, including a special national convention, a campaign to remove the party president, and attempts to embroil the parliamentary party leadership in controversy.

Shrestha claimed that Chaudhary’s efforts to determine the future of the government by summoning lawmakers from other parties in a province where his own party has no representation are not a sign of political influence, but rather an illusion of influence.

‘In a province where his own party has no representation, claiming to determine the future of the government by summoning lawmakers from other parties is not political influence, but an illusion of influence,’ she wrote.

Shrestha also quoted a Sanskrit phrase, ‘Svagrihe daham kritva paragriham rakshitumichchhati,’ which means ‘one who sets fire to their own house wants to save their neighbor’s house.’

Shortly after Shrestha’s post, Chaudhary responded with a status of his own, suggesting that he is being targeted and that those who try to kill someone who has built their own status will never succeed.

Chaudhary also commented on the futility of trying to bring down someone who has built their own reputation, saying that those who try to do so will ultimately harm themselves.

‘The bullet that is fired to kill me will ultimately return and kill the one who fired it,’ he wrote.

Chaudhary also emphasized the importance of taking care of one’s own home and not setting fire to someone else’s, saying that this is the key to true happiness.

‘A religious person should always wish for the well-being of others, and those who wish for someone else’s downfall can never be a true priest,’ he wrote.