A fresh controversy has broken out at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru after the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) issued a directive seeking to regulate the movement of media personnel within the legislature complex. In a letter dated January 9, addressed to the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), DPAR directed that journalists be confined to a designated area at the portico near the West Gate (Kengal Gate) to obtain reactions from political leaders.
The order states that media personnel will no longer be allowed to take sound bites from the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, ministers, legislators and other officials in corridors, staircases, porticos or other parts of the Vidhana Soudha premises. Citing security concerns, the letter specifies that interactions must take place only at the stipulated location at the West Gate portico.
It also states that only authorised journalists who have been issued identity cards by DIPR will be permitted at the designated spot. Media personnel have been instructed not to follow leaders to other parts of the building for comments.
Similar restrictions were imposed in the past by successive governments but were later withdrawn following criticism. The latest directive has drawn strong objections from opposition parties, who have termed it an attempt to curb press freedom and limit access to elected representatives.
Leader of Opposition R Ashoka described the move as an effort to conceal failures and corruption, calling it an “Emergency in Karnataka.” “Vidhana Soudha is not the Congress party office. It is the people’s House belonging to seven crore Kannadigas. No one has the authority to curb the media there,” he said, demanding immediate withdrawal of what he called an “unconstitutional order.”
Referring to a reported theft of cash and gold from Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh’s chamber, Ashoka asked, “Are you afraid that theft and illegal dealings in the ministers’ office would stand exposed.”
State BJP president BY Vijayendra alleged that the order reflected an “authoritarian mindset.” “This is nothing but an attempt to muzzle the press in the name of security. The Congress has a long history of suppressing media, since the Emergency. After passing the hate speech bill, it is trying to restrict the media under the pretext of security. For Congress, the media has always been inconvenient. Withdraw the circular and apologise to members of the media,” he said. He added that the government appeared to have something to hide and that he would write to DPAR seeking an explanation.
JD(S) leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy also criticised the decision, questioning under which provision of the Constitution such restrictions had been imposed and calling it an attempt to cage the media.