KATHMANDU, Aug 18: Police have launched an investigation to find the people behind a controversial music video which shows glimpses of people burning the national flag along with directing hate speech against two major ethnicities of Nepal.
"We are investigating the issue in collaboration with the Cyber Crime Bureau, Central investigation bureau (CIB) and Provincial Police Office of Bagmati Province," said SSP Deepak Thapa, chief of the Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD).
Police started the investigation on Tuesday afternoon as the music video named Deshdrohi (national traitor) posted on YouTube started gaining widespread criticism all over social media.
Ever since the video was released on YouTube through the channel name 'Mangolhop Official' on Monday, August 17, there have been demands all over social media to ban the song that shows an offensive use of language and promotes hate speech towards certain ethnicity, harming national unity.
Nine arrested in connection with the controversial video that c...
"The song is completely intolerable as it just does not only use hate words against a certain ethnicity but also shows glimpses of people burning our national flag. This is totally against our constitution," said Thapa.
The music video starts with a speech filled with offensive words against 'Brahmins and Chhetris', two major ethnicities of our country and is followed by clips that show people burning the national flag of Nepal.
Article 17 of Nepal's constitution guarantees freedom of speech but it clearly mentions that the activity should not promote hate speech.
Moreover, according to section 151 of the Civil criminal Code Act of 2074, anyone found desecrating the national flag or the national song may be liable to up to three years of jail and up to Rs. 30,000 fines. Section 49 of the same code mentions that anyone found attacking national integrity and sovereignty shall be liable to up to five years of jail and up to Rs. 50,000 fine.
In addition to that, the video also shows people burning pictures of notable national figures like Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, President Bidhya Devi Bhandari, Chairman of Nepali Communist Party Pushpa Kamal Dahal, former Prime Minister late BP Koirala, former King Gyanendra Shah as well as Prithivi Narayan Shah.
"This act is completely unacceptable and no level of freedom of speech can justify this," stated Thapa.
Police investigations have found that the music video was shot at Bishnu Basic School in Salleni, in ward no.3 of Bagmati Rural Municipality of Makwanpur.
"We have taken the cameraperson under control and we are trying to find further information about everyone involved," said SSP Thapa.
According to Thapa, the MPCD has also issued a notice requesting people not to share the video or get involved in prioritizing the video in any ways.
