Journalists stage protest at Parliament House against the restrictions on their movement in the premises
Journalists representing various dailies and news channels have today staged their silent protest in Parliament’s inner precinct against the restrictions on their movement in the premises.
Moreover the accredited journalists covering parliament were removed to stand in front of “Makar Dwar” from where they used to interact with Parliamentarians from all sides. The protesting journalists were demanding lifting of restrictions imposed on them with immediate effect said the Press Club message on X.
It may be recalled that the senior journalists who had been covering both houses of parliament for decades are not being allowed to cover parliamentary proceeding since the Covid 19 times. The restriction imposed on journalists during the Covid 19 pandemic four – 5 years ago prohibiting their access in parliament has not been lifted till date with only few a s selected journalists given access termed by various journalist bodies as unacceptable and arbitrary. There had been several protests in front of parliament House at press club of India premises and memorandum served to authorities concerned by various media organisations and opposition parties from time to time urging the government to lift the imposition of restriction to mediamen in parliament but of no avail.
The Press Club of India have been protesting against this restriction of journalists since the last four years terming this arbitrary restriction to senior accredited journalists covering parliament for decades earlier as obstruction to the democratic exchange of ideas , limiting public discourse and weakening accountability and transparency of parliamentary system. The Press Club of India president Gautam Lahiri said : Whatever be the form for the first time parliament covering journalists are protesting in civilised manner, maintaining parliamentary decorum which is missing these days said the PCI chief.
According to the latest news the leader of the opposition Rahul Gandhi took notice of the journalists protest and came to the media enclosure to meet the protesting media persons in the parliament House and expressed his solidarity to the journalists cause hoping to raise the issue in parliament. This is the uniqueness of Rahul Gandhi who notices every minute development and tries to be the part of it. Few days ago outside his house 10 Janpath when Rahul alongwith his entourage was going to sine meeting a scooterist met with an accident . Rahul stopped his car , n personally enquired about the wellbeing of the scooterist and provided him best possible help by getting him admitted in a hospital. He is such a gentleman despite being a politician.
Meanwhile, the senior journalist with India Today TV , a renowned anchor Rajdeep Sardesai too stood with the struggling journalist demanding that the restrictions should be lifted NOW . He wrote on X, earlier twitter : In full solidarity with all press persons covering parliament. Remove the restrictions NOW! Why should media be disallowed from interacting with MPs freely in parliament? The Samajwadi Party MP and leader Akhilesh Yadav and his wife MP from Saifai, Dimple Yadav also met the protesting journalist and expressed their solidarity with them.
