Pradesh Congress Committee president Sarat Patnaik on Monday condemned what he termed as an abhorring act of banning entry of journalists into school campuses.
“In an arbitrary move against journalists, the Government has banned their entry in school campuses,” Patnaik said and termed it as “a grave disrespect to democracy showing the arrogance of the BJD Government.”
Patnaik added, “We demand that such an archaic directive be immediately withdrawn.”
Patnaik said it is not the first time that such restriction has been clamped on the journalists. Earlier, journalists had been prohibited to enter the SCB Medical College Hospital, Secretariat and Assembly. “It is the duty of media to expose any violation or irregularities in any arm of the Government, but banning them in specific places certainly shows the desperation of the Government.”