Kathmandu: General Secretary of the Nepali Congress, Gagan Kumar Thapa, has affirmed the party's commitment to addressing the grievances of cooperative victims and ensuring justice. Speaking at a program organized to mark the 33rd establishment day of the Nepal Press Union (NPU), Thapa emphasized that the opposition has a duty to stand against the government's anarchic behavior.

In his address, Thapa stressed that political parties, whether in government or opposition, must maintain their integrity and responsibility towards citizens. He highlighted the misappropriation of cooperative funds as a significant issue that the opposition must address.

Thapa assured that the Nepali Congress is committed to pushing for a parliamentary committee to investigate the cooperative fund misappropriation, promising justice for the victims and legal action against the guilty parties. He mentioned that the party has initiated street protests to escalate their demands.

The lawmaker expressed concern over the declining trust of citizens in public entities, attributing it to an extremely non-liberal governance approach disguised as democracy. He warned that press freedom is under threat and urged vigilance to protect it, describing press freedom as a fundamental component of democracy.

Taranath Dahal, a founder of NPU and former President of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), reflected on the union's establishment on May 27, 1991, to advocate for the rights of working journalists. He condemned the recent arrest of media entrepreneur Kailash Sirohiya as an attack on press freedom and urged pro-freedom forces to remain alert.

NPU President Shiba Lamsal called for a fresh election of the FNJ, advocating for general membership for all engaged in journalism. Socialist Press Association Chair Bishwamani Subedi criticized the police's entry into Kantipur Daily's office to arrest Sirohiya, highlighting the threat to press freedom and freedom of expression.

Other speakers, including Kiran Pokhrel, Badri Sigdel, Santosh Paudel, Arjun Giri, and Nakul Aryal, emphasized the need for solidarity among media personnel to counter any threats to press freedom.