New Delhi (NVI): Cable operators in Nepal have banned all private Indian news channels, except Doordarshan amid a massive criticism among the top leaders of the Himalayan country over the coverage of Nepalese leadership.
The foreign channel distributors in Nepal have decided to block all news channels from India, while exempting Doordarshan.
The decision came hours after Nepal’s Information and Broadcasting Minister Yubaraj Khatiwada said, “the government would seek political and legal remedies against the Indian media for disseminating news that jeopardizes the nation, nationality, sovereignty and self-respect of Nepalis.”
“We also request not to disseminate news that infringes sovereignty and self-respect of Nepalis,” he said, “This includes the media of neighboring countries. We might seek both political and legal remedies,” said Khatiwada during a press conference in Kathmandu.
Several leaders in Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli’s government have alleged that many of these Indian channels indulged in “character assassination” of Nepalese leaders, including the Oli, and of the Chinese envoy to Nepal, Ambassador Hou Yanqi.
However, no official order has been issued by the Nepalese government in this regard as of yet.
Relations between India and Nepal have recently suffered after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand in May.
Nepal reacted sharply on the move, saying that the 80-km-long road stretch passed through Nepalese territory. India has rejected the claim while reiterating that the road lies completely within its territory.
The tensions between the two countries further grew when Nepal launched its new map after a constitutional amendment, which includes some Indian territories in the Himalayan region.
-ARK
