Government to ban private TV channels in Assembly?

Bengaluru: In a move seen as an attempt at clipping the wings of the media, the Karnataka government is mulling a ban on allowing private television cameras inside the legislative Assembly when the House is in session. "There is a proposal to start our own channel on the lines of Lok Sabha TV; once we have our channel obviously other private cameras won't be allowed," Karnataka legislative Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa told agencies.

He said discussions were on in this regard and "we have asked authorities to study the functioning of Lok Sabha channel and give us a report. Once we have it, we will decide on it," Mr Thimmappa said. Information Minister Roshan Baig has already announced that the government intends to start its own channel to directly relay proceedings of the House on the lines of Lok Sabha TV.

Mr Baig has said government would very shortly take a decision in this regard, adding, the ban will only be for private television cameras and not for reporters. The move comes weeks after TV channels telecast video footage of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah apparently dozing off in the Assembly when it was debating the incidents of rape. Siddaramaiah had however maintained that he had not dozed off and in fact was attentive. During the previous BJP rule, two ministers were also caught on camera allegedly watching porn on their mobiles, video clippings of which were telecast by TV channels, raising a storm of controversy over their conduct.