Police are stepping in to calm tensions after a viral YouTube podcast sparked outrage for mocking Newari singer Kuma Sagar’s accent.
The controversy began when comedian Sajan Shrestha, appearing on The Sushant Pradhan Podcast last week, mimicked Sagar’s Newari accent while singing one of his songs. Fellow guests Utsav Sapkota and Sujan Zimba, along with host Sushant Pradhan, also joined in, with Sapkota making inappropriate remarks about how a phrase in the singer’s accent sounded.
The video quickly drew backlash from the Newar community, who saw it as disrespectful. In response to the outrage, Shrestha released an apology video on YouTube, claiming he never meant to offend anyone. Host Pradhan also removed the episode from his channel.
However, the Newar community rejected the apology and demanded police action against the comedians. On Monday and Tuesday, activists from the community went to Kathmandu Police Range, urging authorities to take legal steps against them.
Despite the pressure, SP Apil Raj Bohara, spokesperson for Kathmandu Police, stated that no formal complaint had been filed—only a request for action. “Since there’s no official complaint, we won’t register a case,” he said.
For now, police are focused on resolving the dispute and mediating between both sides.
