Ruling RSP, other major parties condemn journalist's arrest from newsroom

Major parties, including the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), have condemned police taking journalists into custody directly from the newsroom.

RSP issued a statement saying that arresting a journalist over a news report and entering a newsroom to carry out such a crackdown goes against the party's policy and principles. The party has demanded an explanation from the government on the matter. RSP parliamentary party chief whip Prakash Chandra Pariyar demanded an end to the "police state."

CPN-UML chief whip Ain Mahar said the journalist had been taken into custody without an arrest warrant and warned the government against heading down the path of authoritarianism. UML Publicity Department chief Niraj Acharya also issued a statement condemning the government's action.

Nepali Congress General Secretary Pradeep Paudel said the arrest of the journalist was the height of totalitarian tendencies. Nepal Communist Party (NCP) chief whip Yuvaraj Dulal demanded the journalist's unconditional release, while RPP spokesperson Mohan Shrestha demanded an immediate end to threatening and arresting journalists.

Meanwhile, former office-bearers of the Federation of Nepali Journalists have announced a one-hour silent protest at Maitighar Mandala in Kathmandu starting at 8 am on Saturday.