Journalist Anant Bagaitkar has resigned from his post as secretary of Rajya Sabha’s Media Advisory Committee, saying he saw no “significant objective” in remaining in office as journalists’ access to parliament had been restricted.
Bagaitkar had sent his resignation letter to the Speaker of the Upper House, Venkaiah Naidu, Tuesday.
“When restrictions everywhere have been removed or largely relaxed, the media still face restrictions to cover the Parliament which is the supreme representative body of the Indian people,” he wrote in the letter.
The Center had restricted media entry into Parliament in early 2020 since the Covid-19 outbreak. Journalists cannot access the media galleries at Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and Central Hall. For two days a week, journalists are allowed to visit Parliament’s premises, but they do not have access to debates.
Media chief resigns from Rajya Sabha’s Media Advisory Board – in pain and frustration – over continued stifling of democracy by Modi’s men! pic.twitter.com/SzzyFmTTW6
– Jawhar Sircar (@jawharsircar) 23 December 2021
In November, a group of journalists wrote an open letter to the leaders of all political parties in parliament, protesting the restrictions on the media. The letter said there was no longer a need for such curbs now, adding that public places such as malls, restaurants and movie theaters had been reopened.
In his letter on Tuesday, Bagaitkar said the media’s request for access to parliament was legitimate. “But the request was not accepted and we [the] the media now have the impression that normal access to parliament is not possible in the near future, ”he wrote.
The reporter also said his resignation was not a protest, but a mark of pain from the media covering Parliament.
The Press Club of India also opposed in November what it described as a “lottery scheme” allowing journalists to enter Parliament’s premises. He added that the restrictions appeared to be a ploy to censor the transmission of news and information to citizens.
