RSP Chief Whip Condemns Police Actions Against Journalists

Prakash Chandra Pariyar, the chief whip of the Rastriya Swatantra Party parliamentary party, expressed strong objections on Friday evening following the arrest of media professionals. Writing on social media, Pariyar denounced the attempt to apprehend journalists directly from newsrooms due to published news content. He characterized the actions of law enforcement as an inclination towards a police state and urged authorities to halt such tactics. The chief whip highlighted specific incidents, referencing the arrest of journalist Bishwamani Subedi and the arrival of plainclothes officers at media offices. Pariyar stated that such conduct by police forces does not reflect the standard democratic character of Nepal. He further raised concerns regarding why these arrests were executed right ahead of public holidays, demanding a formal government probe into the incident. On Friday afternoon, law enforcement personnel took three journalists into custody, including Subedi, as well as Shobaraj Baral. The detained journalists were subsequently released on Friday evening. Pariyar reiterated that state institutions hold the responsibility to protect and foster press freedom as guaranteed by the constitution, rather than using aggressive tactics against media houses.