Kathmandu: The Nepali Congress has demanded the government to stop the practice of police entering media houses to take journalists into custody and only releasing them under public pressure.
Congress President Gagan Kumar Thapa, in a statement released on Friday, drew the government’s attention to the need to immediately stop the illegal arrest of journalists and police interference in media houses.
He said that deploying police in newsrooms to arrest and harass journalists reflects the autocracy of the royal era. Recalling that in the past, rulers have misused power and authority to interfere in the media when questioned, he noted that the repetition of such practices is a concerning issue for democracy.
The Congress has claimed that since its establishment, it has stood for press freedom, civil rights, and the rule of law, and it has said it will oppose any arbitrary actions against media and journalists.
Highlighting that independent journalism is the cornerstone of democracy, Congress stated that if any media outlet or journalist makes a mistake, established legal and institutional processes, such as the Press Council, should be followed to address it.
Ignoring those processes and having direct police intervention in media houses goes against the spirit of the rule of law, Congress believes. The party has condemned such actions in a statement, labeling them as oppressive measures.
The Congress has demanded the government to protect the constitutional rights of the people who have been taken into custody, to stop unnecessary police interference in newsrooms, and to correct actions taken outside of legal procedures.
At the end of the statement, Chairman Thapa said that instead of releasing people under public pressure, illegal arrests and mistreatment of journalists should be stopped.
