From India's largest Newsroom. I'm Warren Gorge. And this is the times of India podcast. It was in 2020 that the restrictions were imposed on the entry of media persons in Parliament, due to the covid-19 pandemic. It's been three years since they were imposed, but the restrictions remain despite the opening of a new Parliament building we represented before speaker, that now all the restrictions are completely lifted and not only in India but all over the world.
Aho World Health Organization has also declared that. Now there is no need for restrictions and people can move freely. So on that basis. We again pleaded with the speaker of the Lok Sabha. That now, is the time that you should allow media persons as it used to be three covid situation, at least so far, there is no official response from this. Good for the government. Now, new building of the parliament is there in that building?
There is a media Gallery. Seating capacity has been increased from 1998, has gone up to 128 but the issue remains if we are allowed inside the media gallery, please Gallery, then you re it is of use if you if you Continue with some kind of a pretext, to deny the entry to the media into the Parliament and in a way denying the access to the information. What one should say when is it, is it is denying the basic
fundamental, right? Of the citizens of this country to know what is happening in the parliament. What is happening in the government? It is it is it denied? That's you know, journalists ananth Target curve underneath had resigned as the secretary of the media advisory committee to the rajya Sabha in 2021. Over the restrictions, that prevent a journalist like him from covering Parliament, with the new session of parliament set to start in July the restrictions remain in place in
a letter to Lok Sabha speaker. Ohm Bedlam the Press Club of India. Recently demanded restrictions on the entry of journalists be removed. They've not received a response yet. In today's episode underneath is in conversation with Mike. League Alka do care about. Why the representatives of all media houses should be allowed entry into Parliament? He pulls back the curtain on how journalists use their access to Parliament to speak with lawmakers and report on stories.
That may be important for their audiences. He also explains what he thinks is the ulterior motive Behind these. Restrictions remaining in place. I'll get started by asking undone to explain how things worked in the old building of Parliament, that is now set to be converted into a museum. All of us who have not been to the parliament area Gallery. Can you like give us a view and how important was it to sit in the parliament Gallery access to the parliament is very important.
This, those who cover Delhi and Parliament. And obviously the national politics for them access to Parliament is very, very important. I am talking of the old parliament in New, They have made some new Arrangements but I am talking of the old Parliament building where media Gallery was exactly over the speaker. So we can get a complete view of the house who is doing what we speaking. And the idea behind it was we are like this speaker of the house.
We do not take sides. Our view is complete mrs. Reeves. If ruling party or the treasury benches, they make some point. Obviously, that will be taken note of by the journalists and opposition. So that is how the idea came that our Gallery was exactly about the speaker. In the new parliament, in the Lok Sabha, they have made two galleries left and right. The issue remains that journalist access to the
parliament. And the media Gallery is of utmost importance Because unless and until he is physically present there, he cannot just watch some TV or something looks of a channel and Report because in Lok Sabha, TV channels or in other channels. Also, when some noise or some, some hullabaloo takes place, the camera is focused only on the speaker. That is the convention they follow. And whosoever is making noise.
They are not shown. But in democracy, if a members voice is not heard and if treasury benches try to just gag him or just making bigger noise than him and what allowed him to exactly made his own point then obviously, If you are sitting in the gallery, you can see the entire scene and that is why it is very important to sit in the gallery and watch the proceedings by your own eyes and your and hear with your own
ears. We have a PTA and other agencies reporting available why it is important for language newspapers reporters or journalist to be present in the Parliament House. How it matters and This is a great question PTI, uni or any news agency. They cover the larger picture Times of India. Publishes it in English, we publish it in moratti or Tamil or Malayalam but news is National. So we are equally National newspapers and you can call as only language newspapers so language newspapers.
Also have obviously, since we publish saying Maharashtra or Malayala Manorama is from Kira. So then that region specific news items which are not covered that extensively. But a person from Maharashtra or Kerala when he seats in the parliament Gallery obviously the Kerala in peace, they raised some Kerala issues. Mara train pieces, braised, marotta cognitive boundary dispute, So that kind of issue though that they are reported by us and they are reported in
details. And that is why language papers also need to have access to the parliament, because Parliament, consists of entire India. It is not only a limited to Delhi, or up' or Bihar Kerala MPS. Are there, the main are do MPS are their car. Not again, please are there and obviously the journalist from these states language press, they do cover them extensively, that is why language raise also should get proper access to the
parliament. Do you feel that covid-19 an excuse to stop the informal interaction between the ruling BJP party and media persons in The Parlor? Mm, not only be GB but any ruling party. Any ruling party that is why I call it. Raj, eSATA, any state power will never allow the media? Originalist to have a free access to the information.
Leave aside parties parties come and go but obviously the difference of degree is always there, I still remember that some leaders used to complain that why journalists come and sit in the central Hall but actually the majority of the MPS and the leaders and The Minister's, they do like to interact with the journalist. They were obviously few whoo-hoo. Who were not very, who do not wanted them to speak, and to give information that kind of
politicians are there? No doubt, but I can miss, I can name, many leaders. Mean with even Indira, Gandhi, used to come and sit in the central Hall to have a coffee and toast, Sonia, Gandhi Rahul Gandhi the chandrashekar, former prime minister in Italia re-watch pile of Krishna. Advani moly man. Although she may see, I can name
me one BJP leaders also. So they all your share of power comes and sit in the central Hall Arun, jaitley had their bar of journalist when he was alive and he used to interact and he also used to give a kind of a picture, what is happening in the government? They used to give you an idea. A hint that these things are happening on that, you have to
work as a journalist and develop a story. but that kind of an interaction, obviously, some people are very averse to and it is not only news views, also exchange, of views, and news and those who really want to control the happenings in the government and they don't want such happenings to be exposed in the public, obviously, they They feel that such interactions or such access to journalist is not desirable. The new building, that doesn't have Central Hall.
It has got only a media Lounge, miss those who are not very talkative or not, very free. They will never dare to come to Media lounge and interact with media. So, in a way, it is a denial, what we think it is a denial. You are denying access to information to the media persons. So the opposition leaders have always called this Undeclared emergency.
And with your experience, tell us what had happened during emergency where such restrictions brought in at that time, or was it a different picture during the emergency Central Hall? Was not closed, or shut down. Or access was not denied, no information, used to flow out. That was the issue, but Axis or the entry was never denied to journalist and that is the difference between now. And then now you are completely barred, you are completely barred from entering the old building.
The you are converting now into a museum. So now democracy is also now a part of the museum that is what people like us think. It is a democratic, right? No, this is the fundamental right of any citizen of this country so non journalists listeners.
If you can explain that when you have accreditation and when you're not mentioning what revealing who you're going to meet in the building and or what purpose are you going to make how it helps journalists to maintain their sources and keep the confidentiality and the current system? Mm is exactly opposite, 8uc sources are there.
And if you are really honest to the information on accuracy, obviously people come forward and meet you meeting point is cannot be only restricted to the building of a Ministry. You can meet anywhere it is not only one source that you get some information and you give the new obviously we get a piece of information from Um one person then you work on the, then other sources. Also, add more inputs to it. That is how a news is developed. But still now we the leaders of
this government. They tell MP's openly And that has been reported. That MP should not talk to journalists. Why if a member of parliament wants to highlight what he has done in the parliament, what issues he has raised in the parliament of his constituency or office region. Okay, country talk to the to a journalist and till the information that I have raised this issue, it can be a good news. Also that his government has done something and his issue has
been resolved. But daily own employees not to talk to journalists is again in in position. And the same thing is now percolated to the administration bureaucracy Etc. They speak. But not the way they used to do. I design that Secretary of rajya Sabha media advisory committee in protest of these sanctions or restrictions, did it bring some kind of output from the government side? 20 remaining in committee was
useless meaningless. and that is what I have written in that later to the Chairman of the rajya Sabha who happens to be vice president of India. It was a very simple later that since the restrictions go with restrictions are completely removed relaxed all over the world. Obviously our demand is to get the excess of Parliament and to get the excess of parliament for what to go and eat if you drink coffee and tea. No, we want information.
But just on the pretext of covid, you are denying the entry of media into the parliament was come from something, which was not acceptable. You live in a democracy. How why? Why? You want to hide something from the media? So it is nothing but hiding information. Denying access to the information that was the issue and I said it is it is not protest, but the pain and the pain which is shared by the journalists across But there was
no response, no reply. And in fact informally I was conveyed by the staff of the vice president at the time that no he was very upset by your later. But, you know, he told us that the administration comes under Lok Sabha speaker. What he can do with the I said I'm covering Parliament when he he's not even there.
So don't tell me who is custodian of the Parliamentary Administration and what if anybody wants to do, he can very well do. He is also chairman of a house and I think some kind of a wisdom prevailed because later on I think one station they allowed journalist but since he retired or he were his his term. Not extended and the new vice president came. So again, that practice was down and let us hope that in the new Parliament, they will allow all
the journalists. But what I learned that entry, as we used to move freely in the old Parliament building house. Now they have restricted, journalist movement, only to the media lounge and the galleries. That is what I learned which is a Don't go to Parliament solution.
Might take place in the new building and the restrictions that is what they see that generally Monsoon session begins mid-july, or the third week of July and it goes for four weeks or five weeks, obviously, it will be in the new building, but we don't know. I checked up from the Lok Sabha Secretariat. They said we haven't yet decided whether to Music. We have not received any orders from the top about the axis. So don't know where were putting
these restrictions. What are they trying to achieve Bird by denying journalists entry into the Parliament House? This. I I can only say that if you want to press allow a one-sided picture, before the people of India, then obviously, you will do all kind of things, which will actually allow you to present that kind of a picture.
In democracy, other side is equally important, but if you want, only the government version should go to the people, then you will say that no need for other side. We are doing good for the people and there is no question that anybody is taking objection or opposing, our thing that is the mindset that only one-sided picture should be presented before the readers. Let us decide, but this is not
democracy. This is, this is completely against the democracy and the spirit of democracy because democracy means that you should have equal respect to the other view. Also, by doing this, you are not allowing the other view to be presented before the readers and the people of the country. Today's episode was produced by
Jay Raj, Singh soon. I moratti and on Vijay Singh for a daily Spotlight. On people ideas and stories that matter subscribe to us, we're available on T. Y+ Spotify, Apple Google podcast and all other platforms of your choice. For any new steps email us at DIY podcast at times, internet dot in Today's episode was
produced by Jay Raj, Singh soon. I moratti and on Vijay Singh for a daily Spotlight. On people ideas and stories that matter subscribe to us, we're available on T. Y+ Spotify, Apple Google podcast and all other platforms of your choice. For any new steps email us at DIY podcast at times, internet dot in