Bhubaneswar: In a significant reversal, Odisha Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy on Wednesday lifted the restrictions on carrying mobile phones into the press gallery, following a boycott by journalists covering the House proceedings.
The decision was announced by Sports & Youth Services Minister Suryabanshi Suraj after a meeting between the Speaker and protesting journalists. However, journalists must keep their phones on silent mode and are prohibited from taking photographs or recording videos from the press gallery. Instead, the Information and Public Relations Department will provide adequate photos of Question Hour to media organizations.
The Speaker also announced an orientation program for journalists covering the Assembly proceedings, aiming to enhance their understanding of House protocols.
Earlier in the day, journalists staged a sit-in near the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Assembly premises after being barred from carrying mobile phones into the press gallery.
Although no official notification was issued, journalists were given envelopes at the entrance and instructed to deposit their phones before entering. This move sparked strong opposition from mediapersons, who argued that mobile phones are essential for real-time reporting.
The restriction was reportedly imposed after extensive social media sharing of images and videos depicting a scuffle between MLAs inside the House on March 11. Protesting journalists claimed the ban was an attempt to muzzle their voices and hinder free reporting. Both the opposition Congress and the BJD supported the journalists’ stance.
A delegation of BJD leaders visited the protesting journalists and expressed solidarity with them. BJD MLA and former minister Arun Kumar Sahoo strongly criticized the media restrictions, urging the Speaker to uphold press freedom. Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati, who was suspended from the House for seven days for indiscipline, also condemned the action and affirmed his party’s support for the journalists’ protest.
The reversal of the ban marks a victory for press freedom and highlights the importance of real-time reporting in maintaining transparency in legislative proceedings.
