Show Some Integrity and Moral Courage: Resign and Restore Democracy and the Constitution!

Opinion

On Friday, Prime Minister Balendra Shah and Home Minister Sudan Gurung presided over a police crackdown on journalists and media houses that had reported allegations of judicial interference involving middleman Inam Sapkota. The arrests and attempted arrests of journalists have raised serious questions about the government’s commitment to democracy, press freedom and the rule of law.

Police entered the newsrooms of Nepal Press, Motivate News and DNA News and arrested Bishwamani Poudel, Shobharaj Baral and Dhiraj Basnet. Officers also attempted to arrest journalists Navaraj Mainali and Sudip Bishwakarma at the offices of Naya Patrika and Diyopost. Police withdrew from Naya Patrika after journalists, including representatives of the Federation of Nepali Journalists, strongly resisted the move. The incident, however, has left the press under renewed pressure.

The controversy followed an exclusive report alleging that Inam Sapkota had used the Prime Minister’s name to influence the Chief Justice and other Supreme Court judges in connection with court cases. Instead of focusing solely on investigating the allegations and those potentially involved, the government has come under criticism for turning its attention towards the journalists who reported them.

A free press, freedom of expression, civil liberties and the rule of law are essential to democracy. A government cannot claim to uphold democratic values while using police action to intimidate journalists. The government’s handling of the incident has also raised questions about the responsibility of the Prime Minister and Home Minister. Reports that both were present when police orders were issued, followed by the Prime Minister’s Office claiming to have intervened, have only deepened those concerns.

This is not the first time the government has faced criticism over its treatment of citizens’ rights. Its actions against landless people had already raised concerns about human rights. The latest incident involving journalists has further weakened confidence in a government elected on promises of transparency, good governance, an end to corruption and economic prosperity.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) came to power as an alternative to the established political parties, whose failures and alleged misconduct had frustrated voters. The public expected the new leadership to uphold the rule of law and strengthen democratic institutions. Instead, the government’s conduct has raised questions about whether it is repeating the very political practices it promised to end.

The comparison with former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is particularly telling. When an audio recording related to the Rs 700 million controversy involving then Communications Minister Gokul Baskota became public, Oli dismissed the minister rather than pursuing the journalist who released it. Similarly, following footage of then Agriculture Minister Hari Prasad Parajuli’s controversial conduct towards women on June 29, 2015, Oli sought the minister’s resignation.

In 2018, Oli also dismissed then Law Minister Sher Bahadur Tamang following controversial remarks about Nepali female students studying in Bangladesh. More recently, in June–July 2025, an audio recording of an alleged bribery deal involving then Minister Raj Kumar Gupta was made public. Gupta resigned and subsequently faced an investigation by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority and arrest. The journalists who exposed the recording were not subjected to the kind of police action now being reported.

These examples raise an uncomfortable question: why has the Balen government failed to demonstrate even the basic political accountability expected of those in power? A government that claims to stand for integrity cannot respond to embarrassing reports by sending police into newsrooms.

The government has also faced criticism over police visits to journalist Kishor Shrestha’s home following reporting about an alleged relationship involving a high-profile woman and an incident that reportedly led to a hospital visit. The latest newsroom raids have reinforced concerns about a pattern of pressure on journalists.

An independent press is not the property of any individual or political group. It exists to serve the public and hold those in power accountable. The new leadership should remember that press freedom helped expose the failures of previous governments and contributed to the political change that brought it to power. A parliamentary majority does not give any government the right to undermine constitutional freedoms.

The allegations involving Sapkota and the judiciary must be investigated fairly, and anyone found responsible must face the law. Journalists, meanwhile, must be allowed to report without intimidation or interference. Blaming the police or claiming intervention after the fact cannot absolve political leaders of responsibility for actions taken under their government.

Balendra Shah and Sudan Gurung came to power promising morality, integrity and good governance. Their actions have now placed those promises under serious scrutiny. If they have any commitment to the principles on which they sought public support, they must accept political responsibility, resign without delay and help restore public confidence in democracy, press freedom and the Constitution.