‘This is not character assassination, this is rape of my character’

Nepali Congress lawmaker, Arju Rana Deuba, has spoken out against the defamation of her character in relation to the Bhutanese refugee case. In a special session at the House of Representatives, Deuba revealed that a fake audio clip had been created in an attempt to defame her.

Leader Deuba explained that she had submitted a request to the Central Investigation Bureau and Cyber Crime Cell of Nepal Police six days prior to the session, requesting a forensic examination of the audio clip. However, she had not yet received a response.

“The fake audio is not only mine, but others too, why is my name being pronounced?” NC lawmaker asked the House. “To be honest, this is not character assassination, this is rape of my character.”

She also expressed her concerns about the challenges that women face when entering politics. “When a woman comes into politics, she should be able to handle everything, I am handling it. Such a step should not be taken against all women,” she said.

She interpreted the incident as an attempt to discourage women from pursuing careers in politics. Deuba urged the authorities to take swift action against those responsible for creating and circulating the fake audio clip, and to ensure that women in politics are protected from such attacks.