The media men on Tuesday protested and boycotted the Legislative Assembly Session after they were disallowed from carrying cameras and mobile phones inside the House.

The entry of mobile phones was barred and the journalists were made to deposit the cell phones with the security force personnel who were deployed for frisking outside the legislative assembly. Over this the media persons protested and boycotted the Assembly Session. Some of the media personnel complained that the security officials didnít allow their entry inside the House and refused to entertain the passes which were issued to them.

Over the curbs on the media personnel, the Opposition members from both the National Conference (NC) and Congress created ruckus in the house. While the journalists were waiting outside, some of the legislative assembly members, including, NCís Abdul Majeed Larmi, walked out of the house. Larmi later told the media men that the NC protested over the issue and described the media gag like an ì emergencyíí measure.

Some of the media men who had earlier attended the house later walked out from the press gallery of the Assembly after the government barred them from taking mobile phones and cameras inside the Assembly.

Later as the media continued its boycott, Parliamentary Affairs Minister, A R Veeri, came out and appealed the media men to attend back the proceedings of the House.

However, the media men didnít relent and sought that the Speaker, Kavinder Gupta, should come out on his own and explain as to why the gag on carrying of the cell phones into the house was ordered.

Later the Information Minister, Chaudhary Zulfikar Ali, said that he regretted the decision over barring the cell phones and cameras into the House. He said that there has been some communication gap which led to the present situation.

Media ended the boycott after the Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta intervened and persuaded journalists to return to the proceedings. A special session of the Assembly started here today to clear the goods and services tax (GST).

Earlier, National Conference party created a ruckus over the absence of media, as soon as the House reconvened today to discuss the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the state.

Later Congress legislator, Nawang Rigzin Jora, said that the government had deliberately put the curbs on the media men as it was in a hurry to pass the GST law and it didnít want itself to get exposed.

Guest