KATHMANDU, May 12: Nepali Congress has said that the proposed media law is ‘coup’ against press freedom. Organizing a press meet on Sunday, party president Sher Bahadur Deuba said that the new bill registered by the government is against the norms of the constitution. He said that the party will defy the interference in the press freedom and challenged the government to pass the bill from the parliament.

Accusing the government of being autocrat, the party said that the bill will overshadow the role and position of the press council.

Meanwhile, as part of its ongoing five-day agitation, Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), the umbrella organization of the journalists, held interaction with legal experts, editors, media experts and former presidents of the FNJ over the proposed changes in the media law on Sunday afternoon.

Speaking in the program, member of Nepal Human Right Commission (NHRC) Mohana Ansari said that the proposed bill has come up against the fundamental democratic values and added that there will be no democracy if there would be the provision of harsh penalty for just writing the news. She reiterated that the government should not constrict the fundamental rights endorsed by the constitution. Other speakers urged the government to withdraw the bill and asked the government to hold the discussion with the stakeholders before putting forward any media related bills.

The FNJ has condemned the bill and announced the protest programs against the proposed provisions aimed at suppressing independent media. 

 
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