Nepal, Sept. 10 -- A group of human rights activists and civil society figures has urged Home Minister Sudan Gurung to withdraw his recent remarks against journalists and issue a public apology.

Issuing a statement, the group said Gurung's remarks made on September 8 were "objectionable as a whole," particularly criticizing what it described as threatening language directed at journalists.

The statement was signed by former National Human Rights Commission Commissioner Sushil Pyakurel, human rights activists Shobhakar Budhathoki, Som Niroula and Subodh Pyakurel, Senior Advocate Dinesh Tripathi, Women's Rights Activist Shyam Kumari Sah and Youth Activist Abhishek Adhikari.

The signatories said they had repeatedly observed what they des...