CPN-UML’s candidate for mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Keshav Sthapit has misbehaved with a social campaigner for asking questions about allegations of sexual harassment against him.
Campaigner Bhawana Raut asked Sthapit about the #MeToo allegations during an interaction program titled ‘Hope and Curiosity of Youths in Local Election’ at National College in Dhumbarahi on Thursday.
“I wanted to question about allegations of sexual harassment against Keshav Sthapit during the #MeToo campaign myself. I, therefore, asked him about those allegations,” Raut, a one-time sympathizer of Bibeksheel Sajha Party, told Setopati.
He replied that the accuser was sacked for corruption. She then asked ‘You should either prove your innocence by refuting (the allegations) once you have been alleged. If not, do you have moral grounds to remain in a post like mayor?’
She claimed that Sthapit lost cool after that. “He stood up from his seat in anger, and said wagging his index finger ‘You're nice lady, but tongue is not okay.’”
There was ruckus in the hall after that. Bibeksheel Sajha’s mayoral candidate Samikshya Baskota, who was also present on the dais, took exception to Sthapit’s comment, according to Raut. “Samikshya told Sthapit that he cannot misbehave in that manner,” she added.
Rashmila Maharjan, who was an officer with Kathmandu Metropolitan City when Sthapit was mayor, and journalist Ujjwala Maharjan, who worked with Republica in early 2010s, had accused Sthapit of sexual harassment around four years back as women across the globe took to the social media reliving sexual harassment they faced in the past as part of #MeToo campaign.
(This news report has been updated correcting Sthapit's remarks)
