Journalists covering the Odisha Assembly staged a protest today after being barred from carrying mobile phones inside the press gallery.
Media personnel boycotted the Assembly proceedings and later staged a dharna near the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Assembly premises.
The journalists were handed envelopes at the entrance and instructed to deposit their mobile phones before entering the press gallery. This move sparked strong opposition from the media, who argued that mobile phones are essential for real-time reporting.
“This ban restricts press freedom, a cornerstone of democracy. Carrying out our work without a mobile phone is not possible. We urge the government to reconsider its decision and permit mobile phone usage inside the press gallery,” said a protesting journalist.
The protest followed unruly scenes in the Odisha Assembly on Tuesday, where a scuffle ensued between ruling and opposition members. Several videos of the incident, recorded on mobile phones, later surfaced on social media.
