Avoid press conferences, issue releases: EC

Citing the Model Code of Conduct, the Election Commission (EC) has advised Union ministers to avoid holding press conferences as far as possible and this holds good even for the prime minister and the chief ministers.

The Commission wants a system of issuing press releases to be followed, though it was the normal practice of Union ministers to address press conferences after meetings of the Union Cabinet or as and when any issue of public importance needed to be brought into the public domain, the EC said. “Now that the Model Code of Conduct is in force throughout India in view of the current general elections to the Lok Sabha and the Legislative Assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Sikkim, the Commission would like to advise that such press conferences should be avoided, as far as possible,” it said in a letter to the Cabinet Secretary.

Therefore, the practice of issuing press releases may be resorted to, it said.

“Where, however, the holding of a press conference becomes unavoidable in public interest, preferably an appropriate official may address the press conference,” the EC said.

Deputy Election Commissioner J P Prakash replied in the affirmative when asked whether the prime minister and the chief ministers too had to follow the advice. The Commission’s directive comes in the backdrop of a BJP complaint against Home Minister P Chidambaram making certain comments on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at a press conference held at the PIB recently.