Amaravati: Naidu urges Assembly Speaker to lift ban on media

Amaravati: TDP national President and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday strongly objected to the ban order on the media and also removal of the media point during the Assembly session starting from Monday.

In a letter sent to the Assembly Speaker T Sitaram here, Naidu made a strong plea for lifting the ban and also for restoration of the media point. Ban on the media was against the spirit of democracy considering the fact that it would be possible only through the media to give voice to the problems of the people.

Naidu asserted that the media role was crucial in communicating the debates and nature of proceedings in the legislative bodies to the people. The media ban in the Assembly was more harmful than even GO 2430 which was issued by the YSRCP government in the past to give punishments to journalists who write stories against the government.

The TDP chief pointed out that the State and national media had also taken strong objection to GO 2430 as it interfered with the right to freedom of expression. Even the Press Council of India found fault with the arbitrary GO at that time.

Stating that democratic systems were under attack in the State, Naidu said that the Opposition has a right to express its opinions on the decisions of the government. If needed, the Opposition can make suggestions and also express its protests.

In this process, it would be only the media which can place the facts before the people on the positions taken by the ruling and the Opposition parties on various issues.

Naidu pointed out that the media was allowed to cover the Parliament but a ban was imposed in the AP Assembly. Different rules cannot be applied in different legislative bodies. That would be unconstitutional. As a responsible Opposition party, the TDP would condemn the ban on the media as it amounted to undermining of democratic values.

Recalling the TDP's contribution to empowering the legislative bodies, Naidu said that way back in 1998 itself, the then TDP government introduced live telecast of the House proceedings. At that time, the Congress did not have even the Opposition party status. Even then, the TDP telecast the debates in the Assembly and gave a chance to the public to know how their representatives were highlighting issues in their debates. Over the years, even the Parliament had started live telecast of its proceedings.

Naidu said that many other States in the country also adopted live telecasts. It was evident how the policies introduced by the TDP in legislative bodies later became acknowledged and followed by other States as well. The ban on the media to block the people from knowing the debates in the legislative bodies was unconstitutional.

The TDP chief demanded that immediate steps be taken to permit all sections of the media without any bias to enter and cover the House proceedings in the session starting Monday. The media point should be allowed to function in the Assembly premises till the session is over, he said.