KATHMANDU: Nepal Media Society and Media Alliance have protested the arrest of Kantipur Media Group’s Chairman Kailash Sirohiya.

Organising a press conference at the office premises of Kantipur in Thapathali on Wednesday, both the organizations deplored the arrest and detention of the media tycoon by the police.

Speaking at the press conference, Chairman of ABC Media Group as well as the Media Society Subha Shankar Kandel said that the incident of Sirohiya’s arrest gave a glimpse of the reign of former king Gyanendra when the police administration entered the media house and worked in the newsroom.

"This is the first time that the police entered the media house after 2058, when the government arrested the then managing director Sirohiya, director Binodraj Gyawali and editor Yuvraj Ghimire for publishing the views of the then underground Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai in Kantipur Daily," he said.

Kandel said that it is highly objectionable for the political party leaders to treat the media house like this especially after they pledged to build a new Nepal after doing away with the old system.

He alleged that the government intervened in Kantipur Media and prosecuted Sirohiya in retaliation for publishing the news that at least Rs 958 million were embezzled from the deposits made by the general public in cooperatives.

Speaking at the press conference, General Secretary of Media Alliance Nepal Direklal Shrestha also said that no one is above the law and if found guilty by the police investigation regarding dual citizenship, everyone should face the punishment.

He added that he was not showing solidarity with Kailas Sirohiya alone but against the state's attack on press freedom. A person from media background himself that attacking freedom of press today is like spitting on the plate that he himself ate from.

Similarly, Rishi Dhamala, the founder of Reports Club, said that Rabi Lamichhane became the home minister because of the struggle of Nepali media against the monarchy. He added that Lamichhane’s attempt to stifle press freedom nothing but the misuse of state authority.

He said that it is not good for the police administration to try to suppress the media just for the coverage of the news related to the co-operative fraud case, and said that they should instead help investigate the allegations against the cooperatives.

Speaking at the press conference, RK Shrestha, president of the Valley Radio Broadcasting Forum, said that it was unfortunate that the police administration entered the media house with weapons.

Similarly, General Secretary of Nepal Media Society Madan Lamsal said that Sirohiya was arrested in the style of the then Panchayat system. Speaking at the press conference, General Secretary Lamsal said that the home ministry and the government took steps in the wrong direction.

Lamsal said that the law allows the government to interrogate and investigate anyone but Sirohiya was arrested in a dictatorial style.

Stating that all the media-related organizations were unanimous in terming this move as a wrongful act, he said that till the owner of Kantipur Media House, Kailash Sirohiya, should be released with honor.

”We will strongly resist and oppose it,” he said.