We achieve peace by ballots, not bullets: Minister Gurung

Kathmandu, March 5: Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, has said the Nepali citizens had been able to defeat feudalism and monarchy peacefully, not by the bullets. 

"The Maoist war was wrong when the revolutions in the country had been possible through peaceful ways," the Minister said while speaking at a programme organised by the Yadu Memorial Foundation, observing the 26th Yadu Memorial Day here on Wednesday.     

The government Spokesperson added that the CPN (UML) and Nepali Congress have significantly contributed to the country's peace revolution.     

He further alleged that the war had set the country back by 25 years, urging the Maoists to accept this."We have a glorious history of overthrowing monarchy by ballots."     

On a different note, the Minister expressed his concerns over the 'misuse' of social sites, promoting another form of violence. "It is the responsibility of the state to contain violence and promote religious tolerance, ethnic unity and social goodwill," adding that a proposed act regarding the operation of social sites aimed to address these issues.     

He further clarified that the government’s intention with the proposed Act is to prevent harmful expressions that target individuals, communities, religions, cultures, or languages. "The government respects freedom of expression and press freedom," he said, stressing that the Act is designed to combat anarchy and instability, not to restrict fundamental rights.     

On the occasion, senior journalist Dilbhushan Pathak was honoured with the "Yadu Memorial Journalism Award". (RSS)