The Chief Minister said, ”In a democracy, community and private sector media cannot be restricted. Federalism becomes weak when it works against the spirit of federalism.”
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Gandaki Province Chief Minister Surendra Raj Pandey has said that journalism should play the role of a strong opposition. He said that when there is a weak opposition in the parliament and a strong government, the media sector needs to be even stronger.
He said that it is not good for a strong government to try to ban advertisements in a way that would inconvenience small and self-employed media outlets. Inaugurating the Baglung Media Fair organized by the Federation of Nepali Journalists Baglung from Friday, Pandey said that independent journalism should be respected in a democracy and that attempts should not be made to silence people with orders.
Chief Minister Pandey has also said that no one's order can be considered law. He also commented that no one is above the constitution and the law. Targeting the recent circular issued by the Ministry of Communications, Pandey called it an order that will not last even a month.
He said that the current Prime Minister should also be aware of the fact that he became the Prime Minister after being the head of a metropolitan city. He said that a circular had also been sent to the provincial government from the Ministry of Communications. He also claimed that the circular had curtailed the rights of federalism.
He also said that the provincial government was ready to do more work for the development of the media sector. Stating that the constitution considers the union, state and local levels to be equally important, he said that the constitution can be amended to curtail its powers but that it should not be run on orders. .
At the program, Federation of Nepali Journalists' Central General Secretary Ram Prasad Dahal also accused the government's decision of being autocratic. 'We want to work in the newsroom, but the government is pushing us to the streets,' he said, 'If the government has faith in minimum press freedom, it should reverse this decision.' He also said that it is time to test the current government's faith in federalism.
The fair includes 10 group discussions, an exhibition of traditional media, a poster competition, a photo exhibition, and cultural activities, said Ram Thapa, President of Federation of Nepali Journalists Baglung.
