Decoded: Why was the media confined to glass enclosures in Parliament?

Media personnel were stopped from proceeding to the main entrance of the Parliament, the 'Makar Dwar,' on Monday. In response, they boycotted interviews with any of the MPs

A fresh row erupted on Monday during the ongoing Monsoon session of the Parliament after new rules were introduced for media persons’ movement on the premises. The journalists were asked to remain confined to a glass enclosure in the complex, according to the new rules.

After the media persons were stopped by security guards from heading to the Parliament's main entrance, the ‘Makar Dwar’, they decided to not interact with any of the MPs as a mark of protest. Hours later, the restrictions were lifted.

The Opposition, led by Rahul Gandhi, labelled the new rules as “caging” the media persons by the Centre and targeted the Narendra Modi government for “curbing” press freedom. During his address to the Lok Sabha on the Budget 2024, Gandhi had urged Speaker Om Birla to lift the curbs.

“Ye sab bechare…media wale hai sir…unhone mujhse kaha hai ki aapse (Speaker) hath jodte hai…unko nikalne do (The poor media fellow have told me to request you with folded hands to lift the new curbs),” Gandhi said while concluding his address in the Parliament.

What prompted change in rules regarding media movement

A senior source close to the issue explained that the new rules for media persons were imposed following complaints from several MPs about congestion at the ‘Makar Dwar,’ where journalists would often catch the lawmakers for brief comments. The journalists were told to clear the entry area of the Parliament and collect the sound bytes from leaders while being in their designated place.

As the row escalated, Birla met with journalists on the issue and assured them of proper facilities on the premises to carry out their duties. He lifted the restrictions and added that the system of providing annual passes, discontinued during Covid-9 pandemic, would be deliberated upon.

Which places in Parliament complex were restricted for movement?

The new rules meant that the journalists, like earlier, couldn’t interact with the lawmakers on the entry and exit points of the new Parliament building.

In the old Parliament too, such enclosures were present for the media persons but the restrictions on interviewing lawmakers were usually not strictly enforced. The enclosures mainly applied to the TV camerapersons.

With the new rules, the main gate of the Parliament House was cordoned off in addition to the existing curbs on movement around the Prime Minister’s Office and offices of the Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman.

Pandemic-era restrictions on media persons

According to the Editors’ Guild of India, nearly a thousand journalists across print and electronic media were accredited to cover the proceedings of the Parliament. However, pandemic-induced restrictions limited the number of journalists allowed on the premises.

Earlier this month, the guild had urged Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar to remove these pandemic-era restrictions as only a “fraction” of the media persons have access at present, the Indian Express reported.