The Punjab and Haryana High Court has given notice of motion on a plea filed by Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa, alleging biased live coverage favoring only the government and its leaders during legislative sessions. Notices have been served to the state government, the Assembly Speaker, and the Assembly Secretary in response to these claims. Additionally, Bajwa has also implicated Punjab’s Public Relations Department in this matter.
Bajwa raised concerns about partial coverage of speeches by members during sessions, prompting the court to demand responses from all involved parties after considering the petitioner’s contentions. The bench comprising Chief Justice Ritu Bahri and Justice Nidhi Gupta has issued notices to all respondents following the petitioner’s allegations.
Bajwa’s claim revolves around the assertion that when members of the ruling party speak, the cameras exclusively focus on them, capturing their entire audio and zooming in to clearly identify the speaker. However, when opposition leaders speak, their entire speeches are not broadcasted.
The petitioner’s counsel emphasized that both opposition and government lawmakers represent their constituencies, implying that biased coverage affects the representation of their voters. They mentioned having previously sent an application on this matter to the Assembly Speaker without any resolution. During earlier proceedings, the court had asked Bajwa to ascertain who bears responsibility for the live broadcast.
Based on information obtained through RTI queries, it was revealed that the live broadcasting of the Punjab Assembly’s proceedings is managed by the Information and Public Relations Department of the Punjab government, with permission from the Speaker’s office.
The RTI responses further disclosed that as of now, no specific rules, directives, or guidelines have been established concerning the live telecast of the assembly’s sessions. Information about the expenses incurred on virtual proceedings can be obtained from the Information and Public Relations Department. The High Court has taken the RTI response into account and has instructed the state government to present its response within a four-week period.
