PCI writes to speaker Lok Sabha to lift restrictions on journalists covering parliament proceedings, imposed since 2020 !
The strongest and prestigious body of mediapersons in Delhi with a strength of more than 8 thousand members – Press Club of India has through a letter addressed to the Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla urged him to open the restricted entry to Lok Sabha press gallery of large number of journalists covering the Lok Sabha proceedings for the last several decades who’ve been restricted to cover the proceedings despite having permanent press gallery passes since 2020. The chief of the Press Club of India Umakant Lakhera and secretary general Vinay Kumar said that they had acknowledged with utmost sincerity the restrictions imposed on journalists covering parliament during budget session 2020 in view of deadly pandemic but now since it’s over and all restaurants, malls, cinema halls, institutions, offices, courts, clubs etc have been opened amd situation fully easing, there is no tangible reason to continue these restrictions of journalists particularly when a new parliament building is being inaugurated in 28 th May. The press organisations including Press Club of India had repeatedly written and requested to you to kindly lift the Superfluous restriction on journalists covering parliament for decades, but no logical reason was assigned for not lifting these restrictions said the PCI letter. The letter also mentioned that numerous opposition leaders have in the past consistently demanded immediate withdrawal of these restrictions on mediapersons in Central Hall as well as parliament but of no avail. The PCI said that these illogical and undemocratic restriction on journalists covering Lok Sabha for the last several decades is nothing but amounting to impeding of dissemination of vital information to the public and inhibits their fundamental constitutional rights to know which directly impacts the freedom of the press as enshrined in Article 19 of the Constitution. In the light of some of the above concerns – the Press Club of India chief Umakant Lakhera and secretary general Vinay Kumar had earnestly urged the Speaker Lok Sabha Om Birla to immediately lift the restrictions on journalists covering parliamentary proceedings formally allowing them to press gallery and the central Hall of Parliament. The letter adds that we have been made aware that the new parliamentary building lacks the Central Hall which in our opinion appears to be a deliberate attempt to create a barrier between parliamentarians and mediapersons. While requesting the speaker – PCI office bearers through their two and a half page letter said that the reinstatement of full access for media personnel within the parliament precincts is essential to preserve these values and promote a vibrant and informer citizenry and democracy.
