All-round opposition to government retaliation in media houses

The bar concluded that an attack on the journalistic world, which is a source of citizens' freedom of expression and criticism, is an attack on democracy itself. The bar also mentioned that abuse of state power with the intention of restricting freedom of expression is not acceptable. "Nepal Bar Association has drawn serious attention to the arrest of President Sirohia in a dramatic manner by surrounding the central office of the media house KMG, a prestigious media house established as the fourth organ of the state," said the statement issued by President Gopalkrishna Ghimire and General Secretary Anjita Khanal. Attacking journalism as a source of freedom and criticism is an attack on democracy. The bar is believed to terrorize the entire media community and curtail freedom of expression.

Similarly, the former judge of the Supreme Court, Girish Chandra Lal, said that democracy and free press are complements and companions of each other, and said that the person cannot be said to be a Nepali citizen because of a mistake in citizenship. He said that no person should be insulted due to the condition of citizenship. As far as the question of the citizenship of Kantipur president Kailash Sirohia is concerned, all the contemporary residents of Janakpur, including me, can say with one voice that Kailash Sirohia's father. Mr. Ghasi Ram was a resident of Janakpurdham and a good businessman and Kailash Sirohia is as much a citizen of Nepal as Janakpurdham is of Nepal," former judge Lal wrote, "Incorrectly mentioning date of birth or citizenship number in citizenship is such a mistake found in many citizenship certificates. But because of that, it cannot be said that the certificate holder is not a citizen," he said. Former Judge Lal also mentioned that the role of KMG has always been positive towards democracy.

Nepal Media Society President Shubshankar Kandel has said that it is not normal for the government to arrest President Sirohia in a terrorist manner. He mentioned that the move of the home administration on Tuesday showed that the government is moving towards the path of authoritarianism and autocracy. He said that in a country with a democratic system, the media, bar association and human rights organizations are considered to be a safe zone because they are responsible for civil rights and expression. Kandel also said that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal should take responsibility for the incident that happened on Tuesday. Stating that confusion has been spread towards the media, he urged the media people to be punished according to the prescribed punishment if they are found to have committed a crime.

Similarly, General Secretary of Media Society Madan Lamsal said that President Sirohia was arrested in panchayat style. In a press conference held at the Central Business Park on Wednesday, General Secretary Lamsal said that the home administration and the government have taken wrong steps. Stating that anyone can be interrogated and investigated according to the law, Lamsal mentioned that Sirohia was arrested from the media house in a dictatorial manner. We, all media-related organizations, are in favor of this wrongful act. We will strongly resist and oppose it until Kailash Sirohia, the owner of KMG, is released honorably," he said. General Secretary Lamsal also says that the communication industry is being attacked by dictatorial governments all over the world.

RK Shrestha, chairman of the Patala Prasarak Mancha, also said that it was regrettable that the police entered the media house with weapons. He said that media houses should not suffer in the name of investigation. There should be consistency in the policy and act during the investigation. Not only Kailash Sirohia but also other high-ranking people should be investigated. The entry of armed men into mass media is an attempt to narrow the entire press, he said.

The former presidents of the Nepal Professors' Association, Professor Kapil Shrestha, Vinod Kumar Shrestha, Keswanand Giri, Bhimsendas Pradhan, have commented that the press freedom is being attacked to cover up and change the subject of the accused Home Minister Lamichhane's involvement in the cooperative savings misappropriation case. "Respecting the role played by the intellectual community in the democratic movement of Nepal and the support provided by the media world, the fourth organ of the state, we strongly condemn the arrest made as a mockery of freedom of the press, human rights, rule of law and democracy," the statement issued by them said, "currently accused in the cooperative fraud case in the parliament. We have a serious objection to this incident in which press freedom was attacked to cover up and divert the subject of Home Minister Lamichhane's involvement.' Writing on the social network X, he has also asked the question, "Should we be afraid to call a thug a thug, a thief a thief?" "What kind of society are we creating, where those who write and speak the truth are attacked and humiliated, those who hide more loot are shouted down, honest people have to hide and be afraid, and the rascals and rascals are applauded?" he asked. Former Election Commissioner Pokharel has asked where this situation will lead us.

The Democratic Thought Society has also determined that the government attacked Kantipur Dainik in a planned manner. According to the association, the government has arrested Sirohia, the president of Kantipur, who has been publishing news about economic, political corruption and abuse of authority. It is mentioned that president Sirohia was arrested at the behest of Home Minister Lamichhane to take revenge for writing news by society president Kulchandra Wagle. Condemning the actions of the Home Minister and the government which attack the constitutional freedom of the press and the right of the people to know, the society has also requested the Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to immediately correct the dictatorial attempt. According to the society, a planned attack on Kantipur workers was also due to the fact that Kantipur had published an investigative news about political and possible economic corruption in Giribandhu Tea-Estate.

In addition, a group of journalism professors also reacted to the arrest of President Sirohia to undermine independent media. The teachers came to the office of Kantipur Dainik and expressed their solidarity against the arrest of President Sirohia on Wednesday and said that there has been a culture of 'advocating freedom while in the opposition and strangling the media when in power'. In democratic countries, there is a state policy to promote independent media. However, we are worried that there is a culture of advocating for freedom in Nepal while being in the opposition and strangling the media when it comes to power," said the group of teachers. Kundan Aryal, Dr. Sriram Paudel, Dr. Jagat Nepal, Rishikesh Dahal, Lekhnath Pandey and Lokendra KC expressed solidarity against Sirohia's arrest. The teachers also say that the state apparatus is trying to hide its weaknesses by promoting journalism.

Sudhir Sharma, the former editor-in-chief of Kantipur Dainik, has said that the arrest of Kantipur president Sirohia with the siege and intervention of hundreds of policemen has clearly shown the intention to take revenge and cause pain. On Wednesday, through the social network X, Sharma said that when the news of the co-operative scam involving the Home Minister was coming, forcing his workers to file a complaint and arresting them without investigation is an attempt to stop such news and to silence the mouths of other media and citizens. He said that the responsibility of Tuesday's incident should be taken not only by Home Minister Lamichhane but also by Prime Minister Dahal.

The attention of the government by the Human Rights Commission

The National Human Rights Commission has drawn the attention of the government to respect freedom of press and expression. The Commission has also drawn attention to make the investigation against Chairman Sirohia fair. Tikaram Pokharel, the spokesperson of the Commission, issued a statement on Wednesday and mentioned that the arrest of Sirohia on the issue of citizenship and that the arrest is connected with the news that has been continuously published in the Kantipur Group media for a few days, has also mentioned that the Commission has drawn serious attention to the news that is being published and broadcast from various angles.

Regarding the incident, the team of the Central Office of the Commission reached the Kantipur publishing house on Wednesday and conducted a follow-up. A team from Madhesh state office of the commission, Janakpur, also visited the chairman Sirohia at the police custody in Dhanusha. Then, in a statement issued by the spokesperson Pokharel, the Commission requested the government to make the investigation fair by protecting the rights guaranteed by the international law in order to ensure an atmosphere of news publication and broadcasting in a fear-free environment while respecting the freedom of press and expression.

The commission has mentioned that freedom of press and expression and human rights are the cornerstones of democracy. "In a criminal case, it is a matter of human rights to conduct a fair investigation with the evaluation of the evidence, considering the sufficient basis and reason for the nature and amount of the crime," the commission said.