NC demands withdrawal of bills ‘inconsistent’ with constitution

KATHMANDU, May 15: The main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) has accused the government of appearing with some bills in the Federal Parliament going against the provisions and ethos of the constitution. The party has demanded the removal of such documents.

A meeting of the NC parliamentary party held today reached to a conclusion that Bill to amend and integrate laws relating to the Nepal Media Council introduced by the government was in the violation of the principle of full press freedom as the document intended suppresses freedom of the press.

Party President Sher Bahadur Deuba chaired the meeting. Talking to media persons following the meeting, party chief whip Balkrishna Khand spoke that though it was the prime responsibility of the government to follow and protect the country’s fundamental law, it came up with bills inconsistent with the constitution.

The Bill to revise the ‘National Human Rights Act- 2068 BS’ is capable of jeopardizing the constitutional supremacy, according to him.

“There seems an intention to keep the constitutional body under the subordination of the Office of Attorney General,” he said, accusing the government of meaning to weaken the National Human Rights Commission and leave it without any purpose instead of its strengthening.

He shared that the Bill on works, responsibility and rights of National Security Council-2075’s Clause 6 (3) provisions ‘A recommendation would be made to the government of Nepal for mobilization of the army in case of Nepal Security Council could not hold a meeting immediately.”

Chief whip Khand blamed this provision had bypassed the Council and Nepal Army and had vested the absolute power in the Prime Minister to recommend deployment of the Army.

Stating that government was moving towards dictatorship, he said that NC would continue its struggle against dictatorship and would always stand for national security, human rights and freedom of press and freedom of expression. RSS