Jammu, Feb 27
Media persons boycotted proceedings of the Jammu and Kashmir legislature assembly on Monday in protest over the remark of Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone. They demanded that Lone should ‘withdraw’ his words that the ‘media during the assembly session works under my control’.
His remarks came after Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar expressed his reservations over the ‘source- based stories’ appearing in media during session against few minister’s.
Countered Sagar Leader of opposition Nizam-ud-Din Bhat of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party PDP) said that the media ‘works under the control of Press Council of India (PCI) and not under Speaker, but countering the PDP leader, Speaker Lone said, ‘Media during the session works under my control’, media persons resented this, and boycotted the legislature’s proceedings for the day.
PDP also staged walkout in support of media. “Government is working like Mafia in state and they want to weaken only institution which has some credibility left,” Mehbooba Mufti said outside the assembly house to reporters and maintained, “Press have right to expose corruption and miss-governance unfortunately this government is intolerant to listen not even to their opposition nor media. She further added that “We also shown solidarity in support of press and boycotted assembly”
Media persons sat on protest Dharna outside assembly house in demand for apology from Speaker, but after hours of sitting no one from government side came to media persons while assembly proceedings continued without any media coverage.
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