The Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) has taken exception to inauguration by Prime Minister (PM) Sher Bahadur Deuba of the television channels to be operated by Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Yogpeeth.
"Patanjali Yogpeeth of India starting television when prevailing laws of Nepal prohibit foreign investment in the media is a blatant violation of the law," FNJ General Secretary Roshan Puri has said issuing a statement on Sunday. "The FNJ draws serious attention of those concerned to the provision that mass media is kept in the list of industries or businesses not open for foreign investment as per the Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Act. The FNJ draws serious attention of those concerned to the National Broadcasting Act, the National Broadcasting Regulation and the directive about broadcasting as television is being operated without even completing registration process."
Stating that foreign investment has arrived in a way that can hit professionalism of the domestic media, the FNJ has also stressed on the need for everyone to be serious about the impact that can have on nationalism, and political, economic, social and cultural sectors.
PM Deuba had inaugurated Aastha Nepal and Patanjali channels in presence of Ramdev and Chairman of Patanjali Yogpeeth Acharya Balkrishna at a program in Patanjali Ashram in Mandikhatar on Saturday that was attended by CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN (Unified Socialist) Madhav Kumar Nepal.
The channels have been inaugurated by PM Deuba without registration with the Department of Information and Broadcasting despite the laws of the land prohibiting foreign investment in media sector.
Minister for Information and Communication Gyanendra Karki refused to answer Setopati's queries as to why PM Deuba inaugurated an unregistered and illegal channel. "Ask Patanjali's men. I don't know anything about this, I won't speak anything about this. Don't ask me," Karki said on Saturday.
