PM Dahal slams ‘plot’ to mislead people through disinformation

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister and CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that conspiracies were being hatched to mislead the people by spreading disinformation in various ways.

Addressing the third plenary meeting of office-bearers of Press Centre Nepal here today, he said the media has a key responsibility to stop the propaganda and provide true information to the people.

The PM alleged that elements that do not like the federal democratic republic have been spreading fake, unfounded and misleading propaganda against the government and its leadership in recent times, urging the media to counter this by giving true and factual information.

Stating that the Prime Minister has been carrying out works in favor of the nation, people, constitution and democracy with determination, PM Dahal said the powers that are growing nervous from the pro-people works initiated by the government were unnecessarily spreading misinformation.

Prime Minister Dahal said that he came to know about the sale of shares of Ncell, the private sector telecommunication service provider, in course of the UN Climate Summit, COP 28, organised in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and had immediately directed the bodies concerned to carry out an investigation in that connection.

“I heard of the transaction of Ncell’s shares when I was in the UAE. I cautiously conducted a probe into this. On the next day after I returned back to the country, I instructed the officials, including the Chief Secretary, to carry out a study on what impact it (the sale of Ncell’s shares) will have on Nepal’s tax system, on foreign investment and on the provision of the Government of Nepal taking ownership of the company after some years,” he said.

He said that he also held discussions within the ruling coalition on this topic considering the sensitivity and seriousness of the transaction of Ncell’s shares which seemed unusual. “I put forth a proposal during the discussions that there is fault in the buy-and-sell of the shares and it should be investigated, the truth found out and we should move ahead with determination for the interest of the nation, people and the country’s economy,” he added.

According to him, all parties in the ruling coalition agreed in the discussion that the government should investigate the sale of shares.

On a different note, PM Dahal asserted that the present ruling coalition will last for its full term and also reiterated his commitment to move forward with a new strategy for the upcoming year, making an assessment of the current one year.

Maoist Center Vice-Chairman and spokesperson Agni Prasad Sapkota, Press Center leader Maheshwor Dahal, PM’s press advisor Govinda Acharya, among other leaders, attended the meeting.