Journalists to protest Karnataka govt’s ban on cameras inside assembly

Journalists in Bengaluru have decided to hold a demonstration against the decision of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government to ban news cameraman and photographers from recording the proceedings of the legislature sessions.

The protest, scheduled for Friday (October 11), will be led by the Press Club of Bangalore (PCB).

The ban order was issued on Wednesday (October 9) by the Speaker and senior BJP leader Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri. TV channels will now have to rely only on footage provided by Doordarshan and photographers will have to make do with pictures provided by the information department of the state government.

The decision to protest against the ban was taken by journalists after a memorandum submitted by them to Kageri on Thursday (October 10) failed to elicit a positive response.

Describing the move as “contrary to the spirit and ethos of our democracy”, the memorandum stated that the ban was issued unilaterally and without consulting the editors of news outlets.

Emerging from the meeting with Kageri, senior editors expressed dismay at the fact that they were not given a fair hearing and that, their pleas were summarily dismissed by the speaker.

Interestingly, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa initially took the side of the agitating journalists only to make a quick turnaround.

He initially tweeted he that his government is always committed to freedom of media and request Vishweshwara Hedge Kageri to reconsider his decision. However, he later deleted the tweet. According to senior party leaders, the CM’s volte face was due to pressure from his cabinet colleagues.

It may be recalled that the present deputy CM Laxman Savadi of the BJP was caught by TV cameras while watching pornography on his phone during a session of the state assembly in 2012. On that occasion too, the government came down heavily on TV channels for airing the footage instead of reigning in the errant law maker.