Kathmandu, November 17:

The Federation of the Nepalese Journalists, Kathmandu District Committee, today announced its third series of protest against “biased” classification of newspapers.

The journalists are going to hold a gherao of the Press Council office on December 4. From December 9, they plan to close the Press Council chief’s office indefinitely. The Press Council chief, Mathvar Singh Basnet, will not be allowed to enter his office, a press release issued here by the FNJ Kathmandu District office and signed by chairmen of district committees of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur stated.

The release also warned Basnet would be responsible if he refused to resign his post or declined to reclassify newspapers by December 9.

The release also condemned Basnet for trying to create divisions among journalists over the controversy that cropped up a month ago after journalists claimed that the Press Council classification was unjustified and biased.