Two lawyers have separately urged the Supreme Court to ensure live streaming of its proceedings in politically sensitive cases of Ayodhya land dispute and Sabarimala issue, saying justice should be made “accessible” to common man. BJP leader and lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay has written to Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and four other judges seeking live streaming of Ayodhya case scheduled for hearing on January 29.
The National Ayyappa Devotees’ Association, represented by lawyer Mathews J Nedumpara, has also sought video recording and live streaming of hearing on the petitions seeking review of top court’s September 22 verdict allowing all women inside Sabarimala temple, on January 22.
On Thursday, former RSS ideologue KN Govindacharya had written a letter to the Centre seeking live streaming of the top court proceedings in the Ayodhya land dispute case. He had asked to make arrangements before the next date of hearing in the case to ensure that citizens get the opportunity to witness the proceedings in the “nation’s oldest litigation having a lot of confusion and peculiarities”.
Petition filed by Upadhyay sought directions to ministries of law and information and broadcasting to take appropriate steps for live streaming of the Ayodhya case by Doordarshan, which is available on all platforms throughout the country. Upadhyay’s plea also said proceedings are often misquoted by panelists during debates on news channels and since the Ayodhya matter was politically sensitive, a wrong quote may create turbulence in the society.
“Therefore, until a full-fledged module and mechanism for live streaming of the court proceedings is evolved in spirit of the above stated judgment, my Lord may direct the Ministry of Law and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to take appropriate steps for live streaming of the Ayodhya case by Doordarshan, which is free to air and available on all platforms throughout the country,” the plea said.