PANJIM: Terming the Goa Legislative Assembly’s media accreditation guidelines as unconstitutional and casteist, the Congress party on Wednesday demanded the immediate withdrawal of the guidelines claiming them to be an attack on the freedom of the press.
Following the recent controversy of a journalist being involved in spreading fake news related to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s health, Goa Legislative Assembly has framed a new set of rules for the accreditation of journalists covering the Assembly proceedings with harsh strictures on who can cover it. The guidelines have met with strong objections and criticism from the media in Goa.
Addressing media persons, All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary Girish Chodankar said the guidelines are unconstitutional, undemocratic and an attack on freedom of press. “These guidelines are also casteist as they discriminate against media houses. We strongly condemn the State Assembly move,” he said.
“We demand before Speaker Dr Pramod Sawant that these guidelines be immediately withdrawn,” Chodankar said, threatening to come out on streets opposing the same.
The AICC leader sought to know whether the Speaker has knowledge of the Constitution, which empowers freedom of expression and freedom of the press. “Press is also recognised as the fourth pillar of democracy and the attack on the press is a direct attack on democracy,” he said.
Chodankar said that BJP in Goa is following the mindset of the party at the national level, which too, through the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has introduced a set of rules regarding fake news. “BJP, who used media for false news during the elections and to spread violence, is now talking about fake news,” he said.
“The attempts at State and Centre are basically to make media puppets of the government, that feels threatened with the press exposing their failures and wrong doings,” he added.
Congress has appealed to the BJP’s alliance partners to come clear on their stand on the issue.
