New Delhi: Congress MP Manickam Tagore has called on Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to lift the Covid-19 restrictions on journalists covering parliamentary proceedings. Tagore argued that these restrictions are negatively impacting the free and fair coverage of House sessions. In a post on X, Tagore, representing Virudhunagar, shared a copy of his letter dated June 27 addressed to Speaker Birla.
“Wrote to @loksabhaspeaker to lift Covid restrictions on journalists covering Parliament. Established journalists are being restricted in the name of curbs. It's time to restore media access and give them their rightful place," Tagore said in his post. In his letter, Tagore emphasized the critical role of the press in ensuring transparency and holding the government accountable. He noted that many journalists, who have covered Parliament for over a decade, are now facing undue restrictions under the guise of Covid-19 protocols.
"While I understand the importance of health and safety measures during the pandemic, the continued enforcement of these restrictions is adversely impacting the free and fair coverage of parliamentary proceedings," Tagore wrote. He urged Speaker Birla to grant complete access to accredited journalists and reconsider the current protocols. "Such a move will reinforce our commitment to a free press and ensure that our democracy remains robust and transparent," he added.
Speaking to media, Tagore expressed hope that the Speaker would consider his request to allow unrestricted coverage of Parliament proceedings. He mentioned the significant changes in the 18th Lok Sabha and lamented the lack of access for experienced journalists to the central hall of Parliament. "A lot of senior journalists with extensive experience were previously allowed in the central hall of Parliament, but now there is no central hall. Many journalists from national and regional channels who covered Parliament for decades have not been getting parliamentary passes due to Covid protocols since March 2020," he said.
Tagore pointed out the ample space in the new Parliament building and questioned the continued restrictions. "The Covid-19 restrictions continue till today, which is not right. The new Parliament building has a lot of space, and there is no space constraint, but the protocols are still in place. What is the use of the new Parliament building? It is not right for democratic processes," he said.
He reiterated his call for lifting the Covid-19 curbs and implementing new protocols that would allow accredited journalists to cover Parliament more effectively. In May last year, the Press Club of India also wrote to Speaker Birla, urging the lifting of restrictions on media coverage of parliamentary proceedings imposed during the pandemic.
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