Kathmandu, May 19
Ruling Nepal Communist Party has told journalists close to the party not to protest and demand for the withdrawal of Media Council Bill that the government recently registered in Parliament.
Leaders including deputy parliamentary party chief Subas Chandra Nembang, Minister for Communications Gokul Baskota, Yogesh Bhattarai and Pampha Bhusal invited the journalists to the party headquarters in Dhumbahari in their bid to end the ongoing protest.
During the meeting, Minister Baskota told the journalists that he would not withdraw the bill. He however, assured that the government was ready to discuss contents of the bill and revise them.
Meanwhile, Federation of Nepali Journalists President Govinda Acharya and Press Council Nepal Chairman Kishor Shrestha did not show up at the meeting though they too are considered close to the ruling party.
Whereas the FNJ has already launched a protest programme against the bill, Council’s Shrestha has also expressed his objections.
Both of them said they were not informed about the meeting.
