NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTION 99
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Media ban during WB civic polls draws flak

Rifat Jawaid in Calcutta

The West Bengal Election Commission's directive to ban the media from polling booths and counting stations has evoked widespread protest from journalists. Political parties too are divided on the issue.

State election commissioner Anis Majumdar issued the notification yesterday ahead of Sunday's crucial civic polls in Calcutta and Salt Lake.

While the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist seems divided on the issue, the Trinamul Congress has criticised the decision.

Defending the decision, Chief Minister Jyoti Basu told newspersons at Writers' Building," It's a good decision. What will you do inside polling booths. You should go there only to cast your votes. What else would you like to do there?"

However, his deputy and state Home Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya expressed surprise at the notification. " This is unprecedented in West Bengal," he said. He said he would speak to the commission's officials on the issue. However, he did not say when he would be meeting them.

The Trinamul Congress has already moved the Calcutta high court against the SEC order. Its chief Mamata Banerjee told newspersons in Calcutta that the 'media represented one of the important pillars of democracy in India and the directives were aimed at supressing its freedom. Any such move should be resisted at all cost."

Manas Bhuniya, general secretary of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee, said the move revealed that the state election commission was hand in glove with the ruling party in West Bengal. He demanded an immediate withdrawal of the order.

RELATED REPORT
Rebels hold the key in Calcutta polls

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report