Farmers’ meeting media not violation of decorum: Congress
This was cited as the reason for restricting media’s movement within Parliamentary premises
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP K.C. Venugopal in the Parliament House on July 30, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Drawing a parallel with a bevy of women actors, artists and sportspersons who had interacted freely with the media in the Parliament premises when the women’s reservation Bill was introduced and passed in the 17th Lok Sabha, Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to reconsider describing the press interaction of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi with a farmers’ delegation that had come to meet the Congress leader as a violation of decorum.
On July 29, Mr. Birla had pointed out to Mr. Gandhi, while he was speaking during a discussion on Union Budget 2024-25, that the decorum of the institution of Parliament was violated when the farmers who had come to meet him spoke to the media. This has been cited as one of the reasons for restricting media’s movement within the Parliament complex. The area in front of the main gate — Makar Dwar — frequented by the Parliamentarians is blocked out for the media.
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“First of all, I must point out that non-parliamentarians have spoken to the media earlier too on many occasions. Several women filmstars, artists and sportspersons were invited when the women’s reservation Bill was introduced, and they had hailed the government’s move while speaking to the media,” Mr. Venugopal said in the letter, according to sources in the Congress.
The Congress had not objected then or on other occasions when visitors to Parliament, including Chief Ministers and former MPs, spoke with the media, Mr. Venugopal pointed out in the letter to the Speaker, sources said.
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The Opposition party believes that the voice of citizens, whether they are farmers or politicians, strengthens democracy rather than compromising the dignity of Parliament in any way, he said.
“I, on behalf of Indian National Congress, urge you that farmers’ interaction with media should not be dubbed as violation of the Parliament’s decorum. We should be large-hearted to our ‘annadatas’ and not be resentful of their right to express themselves, even if in the Parliament premises,” Mr. Venugopal said in the letter. He further added, as per sources, that rules should be equally applicable to all irrespective of their political alignment.
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Indian National Congress