The state government on Friday banned mediapersons from filming or photographing the corridors of Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the legislature, as this was coming in the way of VIP movement.
In a circular, the Department of Personnel & Administrative Reforms (DPAR) said Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had signed off on this proposal to ban news cameras from Vidhana Soudha corridors.
The circular also cited “security and discipline” as a reason for the decision.
“A provision has been made for the chief minister and other ministers to issue media statements near the Kengal Hanumanthaiah entrance,” the circular stated.
The DPAR has directed personal secretaries of ministers to make arrangements for news conferences and bytes for mediapersons in meeting rooms or ministerial chambers.
This is not the first time the government has tried to regulate media access to the corridors of power.
In September 2019, guidelines were issued saying only 150 journalists chosen by the government will be allowed to enter the Vidhana Soudha, the Vikas Soudha and the Multistorey Building - Karnataka’s Secretariat - as part of a larger measure to regulate visitors to the corridors of power.
The guidelines were issued in the backdrop of the government's plan to declare the Vidhana Soudha and its surroundings as a high-security zone with a dedicated 100-member security force to guard the secretariat, an idea mooted when the Congress-JD(S) coalition was in power. However, the guidelines were not enforced.
In July 2018, the police suggested the imposition of curbs on visitors and media personnel, which the then chief minister HD Kumaraswamy was keen on enforcing.
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(Published 16 July 2021, 16:53 IST)
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