BIRATNAGAR, AUG 30 - Minister of Foreign Affairs Sujata Koirala said on Monday that she will hold talks with Indian Ambassador to Nepal regarding the controversial press statement issued by the Embassy that has allegedly violated the freedom of press.

Koirala’s such response came at a time when some India media outlets have been accusing Nepali media of intensifying campaign against Indian joint ventures and distorting Indian embassy’s concerns regarding the same.

In a press meet organised by the Morang chapter of Nepal Press Union at her residence in Biratnagar today, Koirala said, “After returning to the capital, I will discuss the problems with Indian ambassador Rakesh Sood.”

She remarked that no one should meddle in the media affairs. She added that the media should be equally responsible and avoid dissemination of wrong information.

While calling back her father late Girija Prasad Koirala’s life-long fight for press freedom, Koirala said she will follow in the footsteps of her father as democracy will be meaningless without the freedom of press.

When asked about the intervention in freedom of press by the Indian Embassy, Koirala admitted to have heard about the debate between the embassy and the media.

Koirala, who is also the deputy prime minister, noted that the inedible substances like insects found in the juice produced by the Indian joint venture Dabur would do no good to Nepali as well as Indian consumers.

In response to journalists’ query about the increasing intervention of Indian Embassy in Nepali media, Koirala said she will discuss with the ambassador on the same.

DPM Koirala, who is vying for the party general secretary post, suggested that the media rather focused on the Nepali Congress (NC) elections at present.

In a press statement issued on Saturday, four major media bodies had objected to a press statement issued by the India Embassy on Friday in connection with media reports that questioned the quality of products manufactured by some Indian joint ventures in Nepal.

Issuing a statement on Friday, the Embassy had accused the Nepali media of engaging in "unethical practices." It claimed that media houses approached Indian joint ventures for advertisement and resorted to negative publicity when their demands were not met.

Posted on: 2010-08-30 02:45

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