The state government has effectively muffled the voice of all dissident MLAs across the political spectrum, with the barring of media persons without proper passes inside the Assembly premises, and with the disbanding of the 'media point'.
The orders issued by the Legislature Secretary on these restrictions into force from January 1. The Legislature Secretary has instructed the staff to allow media persons only when press conferences are held in the Legislature party offices.
Media persons must carry Assembly media passes. Accreditation cards will not suffice, according to the orders.
Apart from imposition of restrictions on the entry of media persons, the discontinuation of the 'media point' is seen as a huge curb on the rights of politician's free speech and the Fourth Estate's right to inform the public.
Media persons, particularly from the small and medium newspapers, have always harboured the media point as an invaluable source of information for leaders of all political parties, who regularly hold press conferences there.
The new rules saw the police, who provide security to the Assembly, being replaced by BSF personnel. This change of security meant that the scribes covering the Assembly beat were left to plead with them in vain.
The first major impact of the new rules put in place meant that scribes will now have to make rounds of the respective party offices to hear the views of the parties on any issue.
The rules also mean that the voice of any dissident politician who wants to air his view and criticize his party has been muffled.
Courtesy: INN
filed in:Andhra Pradesh Assembly, Journalists, Media And Mass Communications