NC stands firm on press freedom, leader Koirala says

Kathmandu, March 21:  Nepali Congress (NC) leader Dr Shekhar Koirala has said that his party was always firm on freedom of people and press freedom.     

At a programme organized by Nepal Press Union in Kathmandu on Tuesday on the 13th Memorial Day of former Prime Minister late Girija Prasad Koirala, he said that NC values press freedom since democracy cannot prosper without press freedom.     

On the occasion, Koirala said that NC would join the government soon but the party has no excuse for wrongdoings.     

Similarly, he stated that the NC has the responsibility to make the 10-party alliance a success by running the ruling alliance effectively.     

Also speaking at the event, NC general secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa said that the remaining jobs of the peace process should be finalized as early as possible adding that keeping this issue in limbo could invite further difficulties in future.     

"We should not hurt the aspirations of victims while ending the remaining tasks of the peace process. And, we should not go beyond the international norms and values," Thapa added.     

Thapa stated that the NC should take the leadership of the job to complete the peace process since it was started under the leadership of late Girija Prasad Koirala.     

NC leaders Mahalaxmi (Dina) Upadhyay, Ram Hari Khatiwada, Mahendra Prasad Yadav and other leaders expressed their views on the role of Girija Prasad Koirala on Nepal's politics, labour movement and developmental issues.     

Likewise, Chairperson of Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) and former chairman of Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Dharmendra Jha termed late Girija Prasad Koirala as a hero of Nepal's peace process.     

Chair of FNJ Bipul Pokharel, former chairs of FNJ Harihar Birahi, Taranath Dahal and Bishnu Nishthuri and several other journalists said that late Koirala, who played a vital role in fuelling the movement of civic freedom, was a fearless and powerful politician. (RSS)