KATHMANDU: The Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa has questioned the government’s conduct over the arrest of journalists and its failure to make public investigation reports on several incidents.
Speaking at a special address at the party’s central office in Sanepa on Sunday, Thapa said police entry into a media house and the arrest of journalists over published news reports violated press freedom and democratic values.
He said contradictory statements from the prime minister’s secretariat and police, along with reports that a list of 28 journalists had been prepared and sent to police, had made the case more serious. He stressed that releasing the journalists would not end the matter and that the government must explain its use of state power.
Thapa also questioned the failure to publish investigation reports concerning a controversy over the home minister’s assets, the September 9, 2025, incident and the Kaptanganj incident in Sunsari. He said forming probe committees without making their findings public raised doubts about the impartiality of government investigations.
Accusing the government of selectively using investigation reports, Thapa urged it to remain accountable to citizens. He warned that the Nepali Congress would mount political and institutional opposition to any interference in democracy, civil rights and freedom of expression.
