A group of people identifying themselves as cadres of Shiv Sena Nepal stormed into the office of Nepal Republic Media, publisher of Nagarik and Republica dailies along with Sukrabar Weekly, and manhandled the journalists and other staffers.

The attackers said they had objection over the content published in Sukrabar Weekly, which had published news regarding misuse of property belonging to the late-King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah who was killed in a royal massacre in 2001.

The angry mob allegedly roughed up the editor of Nagarik, Kishor Nepal, as well as reporters Sudarshan Sapkota, Bishwo Mani Subedi and Rajendra Gyawali while they tried to stop them from attacking the editor, said journalists present at the scene.

The alleged members of Shiv Sena Nepal, a Hindu fundamentalist group, also barged into the office using abusive language and tried to torch the newspapers saying that the media published objectionable content.

Around 80 people aligned with the Shiva Sena Nepal picketed the publication house while the attack was being carried out inside the office, witnesses said. Police took the situation under control later and rounded up some of the attackers.

“The International Press Institute’s Nepal National Committee condemns the attack against the journalists and the vandalism carried out at the office of the newspaper office,“ said IPI Nepal Chairperson Padma Singh Karki.

Karki also demanded that the government take legal action against those involved in the incident. He further said: “The government should create an atmosphere conducive to working journalists.”