Thursday, July 9, 2020

Cable operators not to air Indian news channels in Nepal

The cable service providers decided to stop airing Indian news channels in Nepal with immediate effect from today.
“Viewers will not have access to any Indian news channels, except for the Indian state owned Doordarshan news,” according to the Multi-System Operators (MSO). The vice chairman of Mega Max TV Dhruba Sharma confirmed that the domestic cable operators today took the decision not to air Indian news channels with immediate effect.
Earlier today, the spokesperson of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Narayan Kaji Shrestha had slammed the Indian media for their ‘nonsense’ reports on matters related to Nepal and the Nepali government. He also said that the Indian media must stop the baseless propaganda against Nepal government and Prime Minister Oli.
Expressing his disbelief on the extent to which some media channels have gone to defame the current government, he said that the baseless propaganda by the Indian media against the Nepal government and Prime Minister Oli has crossed all limits. “Nepal is always united as far as issues related to the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity are concerned.”
Likewise, Information Technology and Communication Minister, and spokesperson of the government Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada also – dueing today’s press briefing – condemned a section of the Indian media which ‘engaged in the character assassination of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Chinese ambassador to Nepal Hou Yanqi, recently.’
Khatiwada said that the government may seek political and legal remedies through diplomatic channels against baseless Indian media coverage which has undermined Nepal's sovereignty and dignity. “We urge the entire media including from our neighboring countries not to undermine Nepal's sovereignty and dignity," he added.
A section of Indian media has been broadcasting an imaginative and defamatory reports on the Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli along with the Chinese envoy.
Indian news channels have been broadcasting misleading news contents – without following even a minimum level of ethics of journalism – related to Nepal in recent days amid the tense relations between the two neighbours after Nepal issued its new political map including the disputed regions of Kalapani, Lipu Lekh and Limpiyadhura.
Back home, people from various walks of life including political parties, media fraternity, civil society and intellectual community have vented their ire on social media – particularly against a recent imaginary and defamatory 16-minute show with an offensive headline run by Zee News linking PM Oli with Chinese ambassador to Nepal Yanqi – for their baseless propaganda against Nepal government and PM Oli.
The Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), Press Council Nepal and other media organisations have also vented ire against the Indian media reports.
Likewise, Former Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa also slammed such deliberate and sustained campaign of mudslinging against PM Oli reports by a section of Indian media. “We have serious differences with PM Oli on many issues, including his conduct of international relations but the reports by a section of Indian media cannot be acceptable,” he said.
Earlier this week, The Times of India published a disrespectful picture of PM Oli in its editorial. Indo Asian News Service (IANS), India Today, WION, Times Now, Republic TV and Zee Hindustan are other Indian media outlets which ran baseless reports linking PM Oli with the Chinese ambassador to Nepal.

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