KATHMANDU: Foreign Minister Arzu Rana has denied claims that she threatened Nepal Republic Media Director Shobha Gyawali during a recent phone call, calling the Nagarik Daily report “distorted and misleading.”

Rana said the call was about a “misleading and defamatory” video alleging her son, Jaiveer Deuba, invested in Kathmandu’s Hilton Hotel. The video, posted by journalist Dilbhusan Pathak on his YouTube channel, also linked her husband, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, and questioned Jaiveer’s assets.

She explained that since the video was posted by an unregistered media platform, legal action was taken. The Kathmandu District Court has issued an arrest warrant against Pathak on cybercrime charges, confirmed by police.

Rana said she informed Gyawali of these developments and urged media to verify facts before publishing. She expressed disappointment that her concerns were misrepresented as threats, emphasizing her respect for press freedom but calling for responsible journalism.