A 12‑year‑old rap battle video featuring Prime Minister Balendra Shah, known as “Balen,” has sparked a fresh controversy after a group of gender and sexual minority (GSM) activists filed a complaint with the Cyber Bureau and demanded accountability, including a public apology and removal of the material.
The complaint alleges that certain words and messages in the video spread offensive sentiments toward women and the GSM community, amount to hate speech and examples of violence‑related messaging, and warrant a formal investigation. Those who filed the complaint include active GSM community members Pawan Rai (Babu Dumi), Bibek Magar, Manindra Singh Danwar and Rosy Pun, who said public officials must be held responsible for past expressions that continue to harm marginalized groups.
The activists said the video has generated serious concern within the community and that the Cyber Bureau has given an oral assurance it will take steps to remove the clip. They added that the speed and effectiveness of the follow‑up process will now be a key measure of the authorities’ response.
Former member of Nepal’s first Constituent Assembly Sunil Babu Pant has urged Shah to publicly distance himself from the video and to address the concerns of GSM and women’s groups with sensitivity. Pant said the language in the video has produced psychological harm, humiliation and a climate of hate for sexual and gender minorities and stressed that the issue is not a political maneuver but a matter of human rights and respect.
Pant said that after the complaint was filed Friday, many of the prime minister’s supporters began flooding complainants’ social media accounts with abusive comments, threats, slurs and character attacks, which has deepened fear, insecurity and mental distress in the community. He called such behavior “fully unacceptable” and said pressuring citizens who seek justice runs counter to democratic values and human‑rights principles.
Pant emphasized that the GSM community is not acting as a political tool for any former leader but is demanding responsibility and correction for the negative impact of past language. He said Shah may not have fully grasped the gravity of the words he used at the time, but that does not lessen the present‑day consequences of hate and discrimination.
The activist also urged the Rastriya Swatantra Party to ask its supporters to behave in a restrained and responsible manner and criticized efforts to portray the GSM community as henchmen of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. He called such false, misleading and hostile accusations deeply irresponsible and divisive.
Pant framed the dispute as a human‑rights issue rather than a political one and said marginalized communities are simply asking for equality, dignity and justice. He appealed to the public to move beyond mob‑mentality behavior and to respond as responsible citizens, highlighting the need for social tolerance, mutual respect and sensitivity in online and offline discourse
Susan Shrestha
View More PostsSusan Shrestha is a Europe-based journalist. He covers a wide range of topics, from local matters to global affairs. Shrestha previously worked as a reporter for Khasokhas in Nepal.
