KATHMANDU: Journalists seeking to cover the 74th National Democracy Day ceremony faced a setback as they were refused entry to the military platform at Tundikhel in Kathmandu.

Expressing their discontent, photojournalists staged a protest at the gate of Army Pavilion, placing their cameras on the ground after being denied access to the venue.

The denial was attributed to the requirement for a special entry pass for news gathering, a departure from the previous practice where journalist ID cards issued by the Information Department sufficed.

The ceremony, attended by President Ram Chandra Paudel, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, ministers, and high-ranking officials of constitutional bodies, unfolded amidst this exclusion of journalists from the news coverage.