In a disturbing development, a section of protesters in Terai unrest are seen to be targeting the media houses and journalists.

On Monday, journalists were selectively targeted at Birgunj city. According to Kantipur daily, the protesters were searching for journalists working for Kantipur publications.

The violent mob attacked the Radio Birgunj station and also pelted stones at the office of Federation of Nepalese Journalists, Parsa chapter. They set fire to generator belonging to Radio Birgunj and also four motorcycles parked in its premises. They also burnt the decoders of BBC Nepali Service and Communication Corner.

The broadcast of the radio was obstructed for some time due to the attack. According to news coordinator of the radio Dipendra Chauhan, the mob attacked the station for fifteen minutes. The mob fled the scene after a team of Armed Police Force (APF) arrived. They then tried to attack Narayani FM station. But their move was foiled by security personnel.

Likewise, the protesters badly thrashed photo journalist Ram Sharraf in the morning. He has been hospitalised in Narayani sub regional hospital. Other journalists Dhruba Shah and Bhuwan Jha were also beaten.

Protesting the attack against the media, the journalists in Birgunj have decided to stop publishing their daily newspapers from Tuesday. The meeting of the editors and publishers of seven daily newspapers that are published from Birgunj have demanded that the demonstrators must seek apology and provide compensation.

In Rautahat, one demonstrator named Ram Krishna Gupta telephoned Kantipur reporter Shiva Puri and threatened to kill him if news were not published in his favour.

The Federation of Nepalese Journalists, Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Studies, Broadcasting Association of Nepal and other rights organisations have condemned the attack against press freedom.