LDF govt a carbon copy of Modi govt: Satheesan

Thiruvananthapuram: The Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government is a carbon copy of Narendra Modi’s NDA government at the Centre, opposition leader V D Satheesan said here on Friday.
Responding to the legislature secretariat’s decision to serve notices to various visual media organizations seeking explanation regarding the recording and airing of the visuals of opposition protest in front of the speaker’s chamber on March 15, the opposition leader said that the move is totally unilateral and condemnable.
“The government is trying to scare and bring the media under its control. It is the carbon copy of what the Narendra Modi government is trying to do in New Delhi,” he said.
He said that the personal staff of eight opposition MLAs were also served similar notices. “Several ruling front MLAs and their staff members had recorded the visuals and had publicised them. Was it because the legislature secretariat forgot their names or they were scared of the chief minister?,” he asked.
The same chief minister who is speaking outside about media freedom is trying to curb it through such means, he said.
Satheesan added that the chief minister is scared of the critics as well as the media which is why Sabha TV has been manipulated as a mere pro-government institution. “If the Sabha TV ignores the opposition protests, the visuals of such protests will be shown to the world by violating the rules. The opposition will not get scared by the legislature secretariat’s and the government’s threats,” he said.
Several visual media journalists have been served notices by the legislature secretariat asking them to explain the circumstances under which they recorded visuals of the protest in front of the speaker’s chamber which is a high-security area, during the last assembly session. The notice says that if they cannot give a satisfactory explanation within 15 days, action will be taken including cancelling their assembly media passes. Similar notices were served to the personal staff of seven UDF MLAs as well.