Give Press access to parliament: Kharge

Venkatesh Kesari | NT

New Delhi: Attempts to put restrictions on media persons in their professional work especially covering parliament proceedings, meetings, interactions with MPs in the Central Hall of parliament and blocking access to parliamentary committee reports by the government through presiding officials on one pretext or another have strained relations between the fourth estate and the government.

While Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue before the Rajya Sabha Chariman M Venkaiah Naidu through a letter, the media fraternity plans to hold a protest meet at the Press Club of India on Thursday.

In the letter dated November 30,2021 , to the Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, Mr Kharge said “ I am writing to convey my deep anguish and shock that for the fifth consecutive session of parliament, only a handful of representatives of media organisations are allowed access to the Press Gallery . Senior journalists’ access to Central Hall has been totally stopped.”