Posters with photo of Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli with a slogan ' Naya YugKo Suruwat (Start of a New Era)' were put up on electric poles across Kathmandu on November 26.
The same poster came up as a jacket ad in all the major national dailies the next morning drawing wide-spread criticisms against Oli's megalomania and profligacy with the taxpayers' money.
"This extravagance was to show the government to those who say they cannot see and hear the government," PM Oli proudly declared while announcing the start of the contribution-based social security scheme for workers later on the day. "The government will announce coming programs by playing naumati baaja (nine traditional Nepali musical instruments)."
A poster with photo of rape and murder victim Nirmala Panta and slogan 'Sarkar Bhetiyo, Nyaya Bhetiyena (Government found, justice not found)' became viral in the social media by the evening with hashtag Justice For Nirmala (#JusticeForNirmala).
Campaigners demanding justice for Nirmala Panta then put those posters in the electric poles below the poster of PM Oli on November 29. Police tore the posters and arrested some who tried to paste more posters the next day.
"PM's poster was criticized in the social media and Nirmala's became a powerful image," campaigner Hima Bista told Setopati. "We printed the posters and our friends started to paste them. But police arrested those trying to paste the posters and tore those that were already put on."
Police tore the posters even in Pokhara and issued a warning to not paste the posters.
"Somebody pasted the posters of PM Oli. Why can one paste posters of PM and not allowed to paste those of Nirmala?" Bista asked.
The campaigners could not continue the confrontation with the government and devised a new way of putting up those posters.
"Nirmala's poster has become the most powerful image of this campaign. We became a little creative after the government prohibited pasting of the posters and devised the plan of printing stickers with the image so that they can be pasted on vehicles, laptops, bags, jackets and caps," Bista revealed. "We are printing posters and stickers with contribution from friends. We will distribute them to the public by Monday morning."
She said the design of posters and stickers are in demand even outside the Valley and those outside will print them on their own and distribute.
