The Goa Union of Journalists (GUJ) has called off its indefinite protest after Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and ESG vice-chairman Subhash Phaldesai assured the union that media will be allowed to cover the closing ceremony of the 52nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
The chief minister informed GUJ president Rajtilak Naik that media will be formally allowed to cover the IFFI closing scheduled for November 28.
Phaldesai, on the other hand, said during a press conference that there was a communication gap, which led to denial of entry to media persons for the IFFI opening ceremony.
GUJ had joined hands with the Photo Journalists Association Goa (PJAG) and Electronic Media Association to protest the Central government’s decision to sell IFFI broadcasting rights to a private company and deny entry to the mainstream media to cover the inaugural ceremony on Saturday. Photojournalists and video journalists put down their cameras in protest outside the Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Taleigao, venue for the inaugural ceremony, on Saturday. The Goa Union of Journalists has thanked the state government for intervening and resolving the issue in the interest of the local media.
