BUTWAL, Nov 20 - A fierce debate ensued between local journalists and a team of Press Council currently in Butwal, monitoring the code of conduct for journalists, on Sunday.
Local journalists criticized the council's chairman Mathabar Singh Basnet's remark that the government was forced to introduce new media ordinance due to difficult situation in the country.
Basnet in his speech had said that the country's crisis was due to the Maoist conflict.
Stating that press freedom has been muzzled through the recently promulgated media ordinance, journalists who hailed from Palpa, Kapilbastu and Rupandehi districts, accused the government of staging a drama in the name of regulations.
They also said it was useless to come to the districts to monitor the situation when government media have resorted to blatant violation of the Press Council's code of conduct.
"It is unfortunate that senior journalists and Press Council chairman should repeat the voice of (information and communication) minister Tanka Dhakal," said Ram Krishna Bhandari, secretary of Press Chautari, Rupandehi.
