Hyderabad: Indian Journalists Union (IJU) has urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to restore the entry of eligible journalists into the parliament house.
In a letter, addressed to the Lok Sabha Speaker and a copy of which was released to media here on Friday, IJU President K Srenivas Reddy said that the restrictions being imposed on media persons in coverage of the ongoing Parliament session amounts to limiting the right to know of the people of the country.
We all agree that people are supreme according to the Constitution. Media plays a vital role in empowering them with information. Coverage of proceedings of the Parliament, the temple of democracy is one of the most important duties of the media.
The information regarding the activities of the ruling party which leads the country’s administration and the opposition which scrutinises the acts of the treasury benches should reach the people in full as it directly affects their lives.
Present restrictions being imposed on the media impair their ability to fulfill that function. While the limited access resulted in retrenchments in the media, those who are left to cover the Parliament are finding it highly difficult to discharge their professional responsibilities.
“Hence, we request you to kindly restore the entry of all eligible journalists into the parliament house while ensuring Covid-19 safety protocol. We request you kindly restore the entry of all journalists with permanent and sessional passes to Parliament complex and press gallery”, Reddy said in the letter.
