A group of Tribhuvan University teachers on Wednesday urged the government and all political parties to adhere to democratic values and acknowledge that democracy will not be strengthened by weakening the role of independent media.

In a statement, the teachers said they are concerned about Nepal's culture of advocating for freedom while in opposition and attacking the media while in power.

“Was the arrest of Kantipur Media Group Chairman Kailash Sirohiya used as a tool to terrorize independent media? It is the state’s jurisdiction to investigate and proceed with legal action with sufficient legal basis. However, it cannot be considered natural for Sirohiya to be arrested at a time when Kantipur has been continuously publishing news about cooperative frauds,” reads the statement.

We are aware that under no pretext should the right to criticize be curtailed, ensuring press freedom and independent journalism remain intact, they said.

A group of teachers from the journalism department of the university including Badri Paudel, Kundan Aryal, Shriram Paudel, Jagat Nepal, Rishikesh Dahal, Lekhnath Pandey and Lokendra KC expressed their solidarity with Kantipur Publications in its fight for the freedom of expression.