Kathmandu, April 7:

The Election Commission has sought written clarification from the state-run electronic and print media for violating the election code of conduct in course of transmission and publication of news and views.

“Nepal Television, Radio Nepal and Gorkhapatra Sansthan have been asked to respond to complaints that they have telecast and published news that violate the code of conduct,” spokesperson for the EC Laxman Bhattarai said at a regular press briefing today.

The move comes at a time when other political parties have lodged a number of complaints against the state-run media for “publishing and transmitting news in favour of the CPN-Maoist.”

The EC has also directed Radio Nepal to immediately halt the transmission of the programme Ghatana Ra Bichar till the voting is over.

Bhattarai said the EC today asked Radio Nepal to halt the programme after it continued to receive complaints against it despite its commitment to adhere to the election code, and that the Press Council also found during media monitoring that the programme was violating the code.

The EC also took to task the pro-Maoist Jana Vidroh Daily, which is published from Biratnagar, for “breaching the election code by publishing reports in favour of a particular party.

The EC also directed the Home Ministry to look into 72 complaints filed by the Nepali Congress and 59 complaints filed by the CPN-Maoist regarding the breach of the poll code, EC spokesman Bhattarai said.

“The complaints have drawn the attention of the government to clashes between parties and other election-related violence. The Home Ministry should probe the cases,” Bhattarai added.

The EC has once again asked the Dhading district administration to clarify whether it has initiated against those who attacked an election staffer in the district on April 3.

Principal of the Katarpauwa Goganpani Pre-primary School Ram Hari Thapa, who was deputed at the Chamanpur polling centre, was seriously injured when cadres of the pro-Maoist Young Communist League attacked him.