Date: May 13, 2026

The Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) expresses its serious concern over the threats issued by Jagdish Kharel, a Member of the House of Representatives from the ruling National Independent Party (Rashtriya Swatantra Party), to shut down the Rajdhani Daily newspaper over published news reports.

Speaking at a parliamentary session on May 11, Kharel disregarded constitutional rights and threatened to close the publication. The Federation views this action not only as unconstitutional but also as deplorable behavior that is entirely unbecoming of a lawmaker.

It is also objectionable that a legislator, backed by state power, has attempted to turn a news matter into a criminal case by filing a complaint with the Nepal Police Cyber Bureau.

The Federation urges all concerned parties to seek resolution through Press Council Nepal if there is disagreement with news content and demands that such anti-press freedom actions not be repeated in the future.

Similarly, the Federation’s attention has been drawn to an interim order issued by the Kathmandu District Court to remove news published on Beemapost.com.

According to the Kathmandu branch of the Federation, an interim order was issued in the name of the editor to remove news published on April 6 and 8, 2026, regarding alleged VAT and customs evasion by Vishnu Agarwal, former president of the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI).

The jurisdiction to investigate and address grievances regarding news content lies with Press Council Nepal. It is a matter of grave concern that a unilateral order to remove news was issued without a hearing from the opposing party, bypassing established legal procedures.

Therefore, the Federation urges the relevant authorities to reconsider this order and pay special attention to protecting the constitutional rights of the press.

Ram Prasad Dahal General Secretary