Dimapur, March 3 (MExN): The Dimapur Press Club (DPC) today said it has “taken note of the unprofessional and insolent treatment” shown to press and media personnel at the vote counting centre at the Deputy Commissioner’s office complex here on March 3.
The media fraternity of the district denounced the “poor behaviour” of the election personnel “who imposed unnecessary restrictions on journalists covering the event.”
“We might as well add here a gentle reminder to whomever the powers-may-be that the journalists assigned to cover the process were duly authorized for entry by the Election Commission of India (ECI) itself,” stated a press statement from DPC president, Moa Longkumer and general secretary, S Henlly Phom.
The pass issued to the media persons by the EC permitted access and entry/re-entry into counting centres, it said, lamenting “yet, the media personnel were restricted entry by those manning the entry points.”
“It was after much protest and reasoning, and subsequently having it brought to the notice of Dimapur's district election officer that the journalists were allowed entry – that too under the watchful eyes of a ‘dobashi’; that too with the restriction to visit each counting centre only once for a few minutes,” the statement highlighted.
Likewise, it said, the personnel from the electronic media were denied entry into the vote counting centre even though they had authorization issued by the Election Commission.
The DPC further expressed dismay at some of the officials outside the counting centres “who cautioned the media persons from moving in and out repeatedly.”
It reminded that media persons have had to move in and out to fulfil their assignments by being in constant communication with their respective media organisation and editorial desks at least through mobile phones which were prohibited inside the area.
The Press Club noted that curtailing the rights of the press, freedom of the press, is actually denial of information to the public.
