Condemned by the media and civil society

The Federation of Nepalese Journalists has stated that the arrest of Sirohia despite the promise to help in the judicial investigation regarding the allegations against him is vindictive.

'Kantipur Daily, which has been continuously following up the news regarding the various allegations against the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ravi Lamichhane, the statement made by Lamichhane defaming its editorial leadership and the entire media sector, is of the opinion of the Federation that the arrest of Chairman Sirohia is vindictive,' the Federation believes. A statement issued by Roshan Puri said.

The Federation of Journalists has also warned that the Federation of Journalists will not accept the abuse of state power with the intention of restricting the freedom of press and expression, even though it will always be with the investigation conducted according to the law. "The federation is with the editorial leadership of Kantipur to move forward without being influenced by this incident and without being distracted from the work of publishing truthful news," the statement said, "to respect the freedom of the press and expression and to follow the guarantee of full freedom of the press guaranteed by the Constitution of Nepal." The federation strongly demands from the government.

Similarly, the federation president Vipul Pokharel said that the state terror was shown by arresting Sirohia from the working room. He said that the mechanisms of the state were mobilized with intention and that it was abuse of power and power. He came to the office and was forcibly arrested. The state did not show the right character.

has given space to what we interpret as state terror. Mobilizing the structure of the state with an intention towards someone is an abuse of power and authority," President Pokharel said, "I have seen a situation in which the media sector needs to take serious precautions so that the state does not abuse its rights further. I appeal to all the media to exercise their editorial freedom to the maximum, not to be disappointed by this incident and to warn the state against abuse of power. Kailash Sirohia, president of Kantipur Media Group, responding to the media after being arrested by the police. Photo: Angad Dhakal/Kantipur

Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AKORAB) Nepal has stated that 'even though there is no doubt that the state agencies can investigate any allegations, this incident has raised some serious doubts'. "It is not difficult to understand that Sirohia, the president of Kantipur Publications, who has been continuously publishing news about the involvement of the Home Minister in the co-operative fraud case, was arrested from the working room while he was saying that he would help in the judicial investigation of the allegations against him. It is not difficult to understand that it is a target and vindictive action by the state against the independent press," the statement said. Unnecessary detention is a reprehensible step. Independent journalism is the cornerstone of democracy. The communication world should be allowed to do its work fearlessly and independently.' In the statement, Akorab has asked the government to uphold democratic values, saying that it is not appropriate for the police administration to target journalists in this way.

Samajwadi Press Organization has also objected to Sirohia's arrest. Bishwamani Subedi, the president of the organization, issued a statement and mentioned that the state has taken revenge on Kantipur because of continuous news about Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ravi Lamchane's co-operative fraud, dual citizenship and passports.

'The state is taking revenge on Kantipur, which has been continuously broadcasting news about Home Minister Ravi Lamichhane's co-operative fraud, dual passports, etc. The government's attempt to terrorize the entire media sector by showing a police parade inside the independent media house is against the freedom of press and expression,' Subedi said in the statement, 'We believe that this has shown barbaric behavior against the media sector that even the Panchayat and the royal power could not dare to do in the past.' President Subedi also reminded that if there is any objection or reaction to the breaking news, there is a clear way to raise their concerns through the existing laws and state agencies. There is no doubt that such actions were taken to suppress the innumerable criminal activities of the Home Minister. Our organization demands the government's immediate release of Sirohia and an end to the atmosphere of fear created over the press area,' the organization said.

Similarly, the Kantipur branch of the Nepal Journalist Federation has also said that it has attracted serious attention. Stating that the state agencies are free to investigate the allegations against President Sirohia in accordance with the law, the branch expressed its commitment to assist in the investigation of the allegations against Sirohia and said that the incident of arresting him from the working room after extreme misuse of the state machinery is very unfortunate.

'For the past few days, Kantipur Daily has published news about the involvement of Home Minister Ravi Lamichhane in the co-operative fraud case, the illegal investment of the co-operative's money in Gorkha Media Pvt., of which Lamichhane is the managing director, and political corruption in Giribandhu Tea Estate, and the chairman Sirohia was arrested with the intention of retaliating. It is clear,' the statement issued by the branch states. In the statement, it is stated that such a move by the state is a brutal attack not only on Kantipur, the media workers working in it, but on the entire Nepali journalism, media world and press freedom. "Kantipur is always determined to face such incidents as revenge against the Nepali press, which has faced many ups and downs, including King Gyanendra's autocracy," the statement said.

The foundation branch strongly demanded to stop the act of terrorizing the entire communication sector by abusing the state mechanism and to ensure the freedom of press and expression guaranteed by the Constitution of Nepal, 2072 and warned the concerned parties not to repeat such incidents in the future. Kantipur Media Group and Nepali Press, which have faced many anti-press activities, including King Gyanendra's autocracy, will never be disturbed by anyone's vindictive behavior. "Kantipur is also committed to deal with such state-run incidents and raise the pen even more in the coming days on issues such as corruption, irregularity, co-operative fraud," said the statement.

Kailash Sirohia, president of Kantipur Media Group, came to the office and issued an arrest warrant to the police. Photo: Prakashchandra Timilsena/Kantipur

Nepal Media Society has strongly condemned and condemned the arrest of Kantipur Media Group president Sirohia on the basis of retaliation for publishing and broadcasting news about irregularities. He had been warning that it would be shown as such. We strongly condemn and condemn the incident of using the subordinate body as a weapon to achieve the same ambition and ego, and issuing arrest warrants for propaganda about the alleged deficiencies of citizenship,' said the statement issued by the president of the society, Shubshankar Kandel. It is mentioned in the media society's opinion that the incident was a campaign to defame a community as a non-citizen by making the sensitive issue of any citizen like citizenship a subject of controversy. While the Home Minister himself is a guilty person who misused dual citizenship. No matter how much we condemn this kind of reprehensible incident on the head of Nepal's standard media house, which is functioning as a political and democratic and independent press of Nepal, the statement says, "Thus, all citizens, various right-wing organizations and responsible political parties should be warned against this type of undemocratic and state agency of the government. We call for people to stand up against the tendency to achieve their own interests by misusing it. Narayan Wagle, former editor of Kantipur Daily and senior journalist, mentioned that the arrest of Kailash Sirohia, the president of Kantipur Media Group, by the government, is more suspicious of the role of the Home Minister, who has been tarnished in the press. The sudden complaint and arrest about the citizenship of Kantipur publisher Kailash Sirohia has cast more doubt on the role of the Home Minister who has been tainting the press. Do not interfere with the news flow of the newspaper. Let the unfettered press rights of the people continue," he said.

Kailash Sirohia, president of Kantipur Media Group, being taken to a car after his arrest from the office of the headquarters in Thapathali. Photo: Angad Dhakal/Kantipur

Similarly, senior journalist Kishore Nepal has said that the government failed by arresting Kailash Sirohia, president of Kantipur Media Group. This is what happened. The government arrested Kailash Sirohia and killed him. This is not legal, it is an illegal act of the government. "Let the government withdraw the action against Kailash," says Nepal.

Similarly, Sanjiv Satgainya, former editor of The Kathmandu Post, said, "What is happening is not happening well." It is reprehensible that the politics of revenge against individuals is gaining ground, the trend of using legal power for revenge is very dangerous, it is very important to stop this trend in time.'

Senior journalist Ajaybhadra Khanal has asked the question, "If he had not written the news, would Sirohia have been arrested?" He says, "Had Kantipur not written news against Ravi Lamichhane, Kailash Sirohia would have been arrested today?" The rule of law can be measured through this.' He said that a new type of 'culture war' has started in Nepal too.

This is broader than ideological polarization. Prachanda has stood in the wrong place in this war. This is the last chapter of his downfall," he said. Khanal mentioned that Leninism will be born if the country is broken but no (class) enemy is found to make a 'Jacobin style' revolution. Looking at the political psychology of our leaders today, Nepal is more likely to go towards dictatorship than democracy. Looking at the party bill and the media bill that is going to be made, it will be surprising," he wrote on social network X.

Human rights activist Mohana Ansari has said that it is not acceptable in a democratic state to abuse the power of the state in a biased manner. Law is for everyone. Not only Sirohia, anyone who is proven to have acquired citizenship illegally should be a party to the punishment. But by misusing the power of the state in a biased manner, the step of leveling the opponents, harassing the critics, taking revenge and stifling the press world is not acceptable in a democratic state," says Ansari.

Ansari has expressed surprise that the government will arrest Sirohia and investigate whether he is a Nepali or not. "It cannot be said that it is a coincidence that the director of Kantipur, who has played a leading role in the Nepali media world for the past 32 years, has investigated hundreds of corruption and irregularities and informed the citizens, has done in-depth reporting on every issue of national importance from the monarchy to the republic, is suddenly being investigated and arrested," he said.

Similarly, the Press Union has considered Sirohia's arrest as an attempt by the government led by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to strangle the independent press. Union's Valley and Foundation Provincial Committee President Leelaraj Khanal has stated that the government is taking action against the free press in a statement.

'Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ravi Lamichhane had the audacity to stand in the House of Representatives on May 6 and attack the independent press in an insulting manner against the media. The Minister of Home Affairs gave a signal from the parliament that the state would suppress the independent press,' the statement said. Home Minister Lamichhane has been accused of misappropriating the savings of 4 different cooperatives. Kantipur Daily and its other publications were publishing and broadcasting various evidences and information related to the Home Minister Lamichhane co-operative fraud case, who was flouting the law by using two passports. The Minister Lamichhane is arrested for shaving the news against Him.

is said to have the statement issued by the Informal Sector Service (INSEC). Although the state is said, the public involvement of the environmental media is not arrested, even if the citizenship was arrested for investigation, Kantipur Media Group as a series of home-ministers' cooperatives before it. The content has been published by publication and broadcasting, "INSEC has said. Stating that Media Enterprot on Himahari has not due to democracy in various parts of Nepali history, INSEC has expressed apprehensions, NBSP;.