Bhubaneswar: Journalists covering the Odisha Assembly staged a protest on Wednesday after being barred from carrying mobile phones inside the press gallery.
The journalists decided to boycott the proceedings of the House and staged a sit-in near the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Assembly premises as a mark of protest against the ban on carrying mobile phones to the press gallery.
Sources said the journalists were given envelopes at the entrance and instructed to deposit their mobile phones before entering the press gallery. This move triggered strong opposition from media persons, who maintained that mobile phones are essential for real-time reporting.
“This ban restricts press freedom, a cornerstone of democracy. Carrying out our work without a mobile phone is not possible. We urge the government to reconsider its decision and permit mobile phone usage inside the press gallery,” said a protesting journalist.
Notably, the Odisha Assembly on Tuesday witnessed unruly scenes as a scuffle ensued between the ruling and opposition members. Later, several videos of the incident recorded on mobile phones surfaced on social media.
The protesting journalists claimed that the ban on mobile phones is an attempt to muzzle their voice and prevent them from reporting freely.
Meanwhile, a team of BJD leaders visited the protesting journalists and expressed solidarity with them.
BJD MLA Arun Sahoo said the government should clarify what it wants to hide. Journalists have the right to report news without any restrictions.
