MLA calls media restrictions ‘darkest chapter in state’s democratic history’
TNR News Network
Dharamshala:
Dharamshala BJP MLA Sudhir Sharma launched a fierce attack on the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Himachal Pradesh government, condemning the alleged denial of entry to senior journalists and Press Gallery Committee members during the ongoing winter session at Tapovan.
Sudhir Sharma termed the incidents “the blackest chapter in Himachal’s democratic history” and warned of grave threats to democratic values.
DPR Director under fire for ‘censorship role’
The BJP MLA accused the Chief Minister of attempting to block the Assembly’s proceedings from reaching the public. He claimed that removing seasoned journalists from the approved list was an evidence of a broader attempt to silence criticism and conceal failures.
The MLA also criticised Rajiv Kumar, Director of the Information & Public Relations Department, alleging the department had transformed into a “censorship office” under government pressure. Decisions regarding media access, he said, constitutionally lie with the Speaker, not the government.
Opposition vows to resist any attempt to silence the Press
Calling the government’s actions an effort to turn the Dharamshala Assembly session into a “closed room”, Sudhir Sharma said the venue belonged to the people and was not the government’s image-building exercises. He vowed that the opposition would fight any attempt to threaten or restrict the Press, asserting that “the truth cannot be shut down.”
