Kathmandu, Jan 25: As election activity intensifies, the call for a public debate among top leaders has heated politics.

After CPN-UML Chairperson and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli announced his readiness to participate in such a debate, senior Rastriya Swatantra Party leader Balen Shah, who is contesting against Oli from Kathmandu-Jhapa-5, declined to share the stage with him.

Oli, on Sunday morning via social media, said the contest is between forces that build the country and those that burn it, adding he is ready for a transparent debate. He wrote, “Campaign materials on social media often hide the real character. A face-to-face debate on the agenda, past work, and future roadmap of parties seeking to lead the country would be positive.” Oli also urged organisers to bring all prime ministerial candidates onto the same platform.

Balen’s Response
Immediately after Oli’s announcement, Mayor Balen Shah commented on Oli’s post, rejecting the debate invitation. He wrote, “It’s fine that you accept yourself as someone who burns the country. You set fires on the 24th to cover up the terrorism that killed children on the 23rd. When will you admit you’re a terrorist?”

Balen added, “Standing on the same stage as the killer of 76 children and their accomplices would imply I’m complicit as well. We can discuss other matters after that.”

People’s News Monitoring Service