Lift restrictions on media coverage: Naidu

Hyderabad, August 4:-

  The Opposition and Telugu Desam Legislature Party Leader N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday appealed to Assembly Speaker Kiran Kumar Reddy to lift restrictions on media coverage of the assembly.

The Opposition Leader has written a letter in this regard to the Speaker to reconsider his decision on media coverage.

Naidu said that the restrictions on media coverage are against to the democratic spirit of the country.

After several television channels have shown the protests and media briefings of opposition parties in the precincts of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, the Speaker has banned all live telecast from the complex, other than the house proceedings.

Speaker N Kiran Kumar Reddy says they were inevitable to ensure smooth conduct of the House and protect its sanctity.

He also took other decisions like reducing the number of media passes -- from 1,033 issued during the last session to 491 this time -- categorisation of the passes, restricting access to lobbies, shifting media point and ban on entry of photographers and videographers inside the house.

The speaker has imposed these restrictions as per the recommendations of the security review committee.