Conflict after the Media's Restriction to a Glass Enclose in Parliament

A political outcry was sparked on Monday by restrictions placed on the movement of media people in Parliament, particularly television reporters, and the decision to confine them within a glass enclosure.

Following a protest by certain media members, Speaker Om Birla was requested by Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, to "release the media from the prison."

Later, Birla addressed a sizable assembly of reporters and made more concessions and promises. Additionally, it was determined that the media would follow specific guidelines, such as avoiding speaking with lawmakers on the steps of Makar Dwar, the main entrance to the new Parliament building, or interviewing non-MPs inside the complex. "The meeting produced positive results," a top journalist reported.

Journalists claim that the Speaker of the Lok Sabha decided to extend the media enclosure and reopen media access from the entrance across Transport Bhavan. "Permanent passes will be provided, and media will be granted priority when it comes to entry verification. The journalist present at the conference said, "The media can leave by all gates, with the exception of the PM and VP's entrances. He said there will be improvements made to the media canteen facilities as well.

Some Parliament officials claim that when the farmer representatives arrived to meet Gandhi on Friday, a few TV journalists interacted with them. A senior official, who asked to remain anonymous, stated, "Some complaints were also received that media speaks to MPs on the stairs of the Makar Dwar, which is strictly prohibited."

TV camera operators were told not to take bytes outside of the cage on Monday. There were media enclosures in the last Parliament as well, although the rules prohibiting journalists from speaking with MPs were typically laxly applied. Opposition lawmakers including Karti Chidambaram, Derek O'Brien, and Priyanka Chaturvedi visited the location after the decision to confine the reporters within the fence generated controversy. Media organizations then demanded that the limitations be relaxed.