Government on journalist's arrest: Police questioned him without the government's prior permission

Government spokesperson and Education Minister Sasmita Pokharel has claimed the government has no policy of rounding up journalists. While briefing on Tuesday's Council of Ministers decisions, she said the arrest of journalists from various media outlets was an internal matter of the police.

According to spokesperson Pokharel, the police carried out only routine questioning to understand how the published news reports were prepared. She claimed the police had not taken prior permission from the government to do so. The government also said it had not given full approval for police to enter newsrooms and question journalists.

On the same occasion, spokesperson Pokharel said rumours that the prime minister had sought the resignation of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) were entirely misleading and baseless.

The same meeting also decided to recommend to the president that an ordinance amending the Press Council Act, 2048, be issued.