Scribes protest ban on live telecast of Karnataka Assembly's House proceedings

Bengaluru, Oct 11: Journalists and camerapersons staged a demonstration in Bengaluru on Friday condemning the decision of the Karnataka Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri to ban media from telecasting House proceedings.

They held placards, banners and raised slogans against the ban. The protest was against the recent order passed by Kageri banning video and still cameras, phones and tablets inside the State assembly.

Kageri allowed only state broadcaster Doordarshan to cover proceedings and permitted news channels to link their network with Doordarshan to show the happenings inside the assembly.

The Janata Dal (Secular) came in defence of the media and extended support. "This kind of attitude of the present government shows that it is intentionally snatching the freedom of media ....thereby preventing public from watching the ongoing proceedings in the Assembly," former prime minister H D Deve Gowda said.

Extending support, the party supremo expressed hope that the government will reconsider its decision. Former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy too visited the venue where the journalists were staging the demonstration and extended support.