When Parliamentary Proceedings Are Telecast Live, Why Not Legislative Assembly Proceedings? Madras HC Asks State To Consider Live Broadcast With Short Lag

The bench of Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy was hearing writ petitions filed by Late Vijaykanth leader of Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, D Jagadheeswaran State president of Lok Satta Party and SP Velumani chief whip of AIADMK party seeking live telecast of the TN Assembly elections.

When the matter was taken up, Advocate General PS Raman informed the court that the question hour and call attention motion proceedings were already being telecast. He further informed the court that the entire parliamentary proceedings could not be live telecast since there might be unparliamentary statements made, which the speaker usually expunges from the record.

To this, the court suggested that the proceedings could be telecast with a small lag allowing the speaker to expunge the remarks. The court also wondered that when parliamentary proceedings were live telecast, why the state legislative proceedings could not be telecast. The court also added that if politicians were making unparliamentary remarks, it would only go against them.

Previously, the AG had submitted that Under Article 122 of the Constitution, the speaker is empowered to take a decision on what part of the Legislative Assembly proceedings can be telecasted and the same cannot be questioned by the court.

The AG also questioned the maintainability of the pleas stating that a direction could not be issued to the Speaker. The court, however, remarked that it wanted to merely know the possibility of live telecasting the proceedings with a delay.

The court thus asked the AG to get instruction on the same and adjourned the matter to March.

Case Title: Vijaykant v The Secretary

Case No: WP 37424 of 2015