'Speaker Will Decide': High Court Disposes Punjab LoP's Plea Alleging "Biased Telecast" Of Assembly Proceedings

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the Punjab Assembly Speaker to decide the representation of the opposition leader Pratap Singh Bajwa, alleging biased telecast of the Assembly proceedings.

Bajwa alleged that during Assembly's Live Telecast, the camera is unfocussed when opposition MLAs are speaking and the entirety of their speech is not shown, whereas the telecast is very clear when members of the ruling party are speaking.

Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Anil Kshetarpal opined that the issue is for the Speaker of the House to decide and directed him to decide the grievance of Bajwa "expeditiously."

Advocate Arshpreet Khadial appearing for Bajwa submitted that when the ruling party members are speaking, the camera is focused and the entirety of the audio is picked up as well as "camera is zoomed into the AAP speaker" to make it clear who is speaking. He has also annexed various shots of the Vidhan Sabha stating that it showcases the unequal treatment towards the opposition.

MLAs of the opposition and MLAs of the government are both representatives of their respective constituency, hence the discrimination trickles down to subjecting their constituents to discrimination, the plea contended.

Adding that the action of respondents are discriminatory against opposition MLAs and violative of right to equality, the petitioner sought direction to the State, Speaker and Secretary to Legislative Assembly to give equal coverage to the opposition MLAs during live broadcast of Punjab Vidhan Sabha Session.

The counsel also submitted that there is no such guidelines governing the live telecast of proceeding in the Assembly.

While issuing directions to the Speaker, the Court disposed of the plea.

Case Title: Pratap Singh Bajwa v. State of Punjab.