Howrah News Service -  Latest news and headlines on Howrah,West Bengal and World: 12 dailies close after Prachanda remark

12 dailies close after Prachanda remark
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NewsByte on 01 June, 2008 01:53:36
 
Kathmandu, June 1: A day after their chief Prachanda warned the media of serious
consequences if it criticises his party, the Maoists went into a damage control
mode saying the comments were a "joke" even as 12 newspapers shut shop in
western Nepal due to terror unleashed by the former rebels.
"Prachanda was just joking pointing to a news coverage by the Kathmandu Post
that predicted the Maoists getting only 15 seats in CA polls," the
CPN(Maoist)’s second in command Baburam Bhattarai told journalists at a
reception hosted by Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) on Saturday
evening.
"We will no longer tolerate criticism as we have already been elected by the
people... We have become the largest party," Prachanda was quoted as saying at a
party rally here on Friday.
The FNJ, which has said Prachanda’s remarks were against press freedom,
claimed 12 newspapers in western Nepal city of Dhangadi in Kailali district had
shut down their publication indefinitely due to threats by Maoists a day after
he threatened to take action against popular daily the Kathmandu Post and other
newspapers.
—PTI