Congress Speaker is urged by an MP to remove Covid restrictions on reporters covering Parliament

Congress MP Manickam Tagore has urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to lift COVID-19 restrictions on journalists covering Parliament proceedings. Tagore highlighted that these restrictions are "adversely" impacting the free and fair coverage of House sessions. 

In a post on X, Tagore, who represents Virudhunagar, shared a copy of his letter written to Birla on June 27. "Wrote to @loksabhaspeaker to lift Covid restrictions on journalists covering Parliament. Established journalists are being restricted in the name of curbs. It's time to restore media access and give them their rightful place," Tagore said in the post.

Tagore's letter emphasizes that many journalists, some of whom have been covering Parliament for over a decade, are facing undue restrictions under the guise of COVID-19 protocols. He stressed the essential role of the press in ensuring transparency and holding the government accountable. 

"While I understand the importance of health and safety measures during the pandemic, the continued enforcement of these restrictions is adversely impacting the free and fair coverage of parliamentary proceedings," Tagore wrote. He urged Speaker Birla to grant complete access to accredited journalists and reconsider the current protocol, reinforcing a commitment to a free press and a robust democracy.

Speaking to India Today TV, Tagore emphasized the need for the Speaker to consider his demands, pointing out that senior journalists, who were previously allowed in the central hall of Parliament, are now being restricted. He noted that the new Parliament building has ample space and questioned the continued use of COVID protocols that have been in place since March 2020, arguing that these restrictions are unnecessary given the new building's capacity.

"The Covid-19 restrictions continue till today, which is not right. The new Parliament building has a lot of space and there is no space constraint, but the protocols are still in place. What is the use of the new Parliament building? It is not right for democratic processes," Tagore said. He added that lifting these curbs would allow accredited journalists to cover Parliament more effectively.

In May last year, the Press Club of India also wrote to Birla, urging the lifting of media restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic. India Today has sought a response from the Speaker's office regarding Tagore's letter, but a response is still awaited.