Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The government has come under fire over alleged attempts to pressure the media and undermine press freedom after vehicles were suspiciously parked outside the entrances of several major media houses in the capital.
The opposition Nepali Congress (NC) and the CPN-UML, as well as the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) condemned the incident on Monday. They have demanded an immediate investigation and action against those responsible.
They also accused the government led by Prime Minister Balen Shah of trying to intimidate the media.
On Monday morning, vehicles were deliberately parked across the gates of Kantipur Publications in Tinkune, Onlinekhabar in New Baneshwor, and Himalaya Television in Mid-Baneshwor.
Nepali Congress (NC) leader Min Bishwakarma described the incident as a calculated attempt to intimidate the media. He alleged that the government had become increasingly intolerant of criticism and was resorting to such tactics to create fear among the public.
Recalling that Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane had previously referred to mainstream media as the “12 Brothers” while publicly criticizing them and noting that senior government leaders had repeatedly made threatening remarks targeting the media, Bishwakarma said the latest incident reflected a continuation of that trend.
The CPN-UML described the incident as a direct attack on democracy and press freedom. In a social media post, UML Publicity Department Chief Niraj Acharya condemned the act of intimidating media organizations and journalists and disrupting their routine work. He said it was the state’s responsibility to protect the constitutional right to gather and disseminate news freely and called for an impartial investigation and legal action against those responsible.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) also expressed serious concern over the incident. Issuing a statement, it said journalists’ movement had been obstructed by vehicles parked directly in front of media offices and urged the government to ensure the physical safety of journalists and media institutions.
The FNJ also called for a prompt investigation and legal action against those involved.
The incident comes at a time when the government is facing intense criticism following the self-immolation of Ganesh Nepali of Mugu. Media outlets had given prominent coverage to the government’s handling of the case after what began as a dispute over parking.
The controversy deepened after some RSP leaders suggested on social media that the vehicles had been parked outside the media offices to demonstrate “what parking problems look like”.
