Kathmandu, January 12:

The government today initiated discussion to prepare a draft of the Right to Privacy Bill.

“Everybody has a private life. Especially, women actresses have been victimised by journalists,” Basundhara Bhushal, an actress, said at the discussion, adding: “Even a pen can kill somebody,” she said, referring to an actress, who killed herself in October, 2002 after her nude photograph was published in a weekly.

Neer Shah, an actor and director, said it is difficult to bring out a Bill that can do justice to right to information and right to privacy. FNJ general secretary, Mahendra Bista, said: “Nobody can restrict people’s right to information under any pretext, even on the pretext of right to privacy.” The coordinator of the Task Force to Draft Bill on Right to Privacy, Kashi Raj Dahal, said: “It is a big challenge to uphold right to information and right to privacy.”

Before a meeting on possible clause on the draft bill of the Right to Privacy, Minister of State for Information and Communications Dilendra Prasad Badu said the government is committed to introducing a Right to Privacy Bill that will enable public to gather information about any public figure.

“It will also secure the public figure’s right to privacy,” he said.