Nepal has banned all Indian news channels except the state-run Doordarshan, reports in Indian media said on Thursday.
The Nepal government is yet to release an official order on the move but sources quoted by a number of media organisations say that the move has come in the wake of unfounded reports on Nepal carried by some of the Indian news channels, including their defamatory shows on the Nepali Prime Minister.
“We have turned off the signals of the Indian Channels from this evening,” Dhruba Sharma of Mega Max TV, a Nepal channel operator told news agency ANI.
Nepali Cable TV providers tell ANI, signals for Indian news channels have been switched off in the country. No official government order of the same till now.
— ANI (@ANI) July 9, 2020
The upper house of Nepal’s Parliament last month approved a new map for the country, including some land controlled by India.
India, which controls the region – a slice of land including Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani areas in the northwest – had rejected the map, saying it is not based on historical facts or evidence.
Since the development, some Indian news channels have done anti-Nepal shows including one which insulted Nepal’s Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli.
Breaking now: Nepal bans all Indian news channels except DD. Says channels running false anti Nepal propaganda.. well, some run propaganda, period!🙏
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) July 9, 2020