KATHMANDU, Jan 25: Former Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balen Shah has said he will not take part in a public debate with CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli.
Shah, who has been nominated by the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) as its prime ministerial candidate for the March 5 elections, was responding to Oli’s remark that he was open to a public debate. Rejecting the proposal, Shah said he could not engage in such a forum, particularly in light of social media narratives that label him a “terrorist” or accuse him of “burning the country.”
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He further dismissed the idea of a debate by pointing to the deaths of 76 children on September 8 and the arson incident that followed on September 9, holding Oli and his associates responsible for those events. Shah made it clear that he would not share a platform with individuals he believes are accountable for such tragedies.
“Sharing a stage with those responsible for the killing of 76 children, and their collaborators, would amount to endorsing their actions,” Shah said.
