Kathmandu, June 26

Minister for Information and Communications Sherdhan Rai today made it clear to the agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front that the government wouldn’t sit for talks to discuss rewriting of the constitution.

Addressing a function organised by Federation of Nepali Indigenous Nationalities Journalists Kathmandu district chapter to honour eleven journalists here today, Minister Rai said that the government wouldn’t hold dialogues with the agitating parties who come with pre-conditions.

The minister also said that there was no possibility of rewriting the constitution and nobody had the right to rewrite the statute, though it can have amendments in its existing provisions.

Rai honoured the General Manager of Rastriya Samachar Samiti Nirmala Acharya Tuladhar, member of Press Council Nepal Suvekshya Bindu Tuladhar, Editor of Gorkhapatra Pushkar Bhakta Mathema, Editor of Rajdhani daily Rajan Sharma, Pushpa Hari Kyampa Rai, Dhruba Madhikarmi, Pradip Myangbo, former chairperson of FONIJ Kathmandu chapter Tahal Thami, Ruby Shrestha, Ramita Lama and Unnati Chaudhary in the same function held today.

During the function, Chairman of Federation of Nepali Journalists Mahendra Bista said the online directive should be scrapped because many of its clauses contradicted the constitution. He said all media should be made fully inclusive.

Minister Rai, however, said the directive was brought at a time when there was no law to regulate the mushrooming online media in the country and the government had no ill intention. “We are committed to make the media sector effective, responsible, respectable and socially responsible,” he said.

Chairman of Press Council Nepal Borna Bahadur Karki, Chairman of Press Chautari Nepal Ganesh Basnet and leader of Press Centre Nepal Balaram Thapa and FONIJ Chairman Danda Gurung said mainstream media were not inclusive as yet.