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Govt. for consensus on 'codification of legislative privileges'

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI NOV. 16. If the Indian media came out in "one voice'' with a proposal on codification of legislative privileges, the Centre would consider it with an open mind, the Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Ravi Shankar Prasad, said here today.

Mr. Prasad made this observation during the celebrations of the National Press Day organised by the Press Council of India, which was inaugurated by the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani. This year the topic chosen was "Parliament, Democracy - Role of the Media.''

Speaking to presspersons later, Mr. Prasad said the Government would consider the proposal for codification of legislative privileges "only if'' there was consensus on the issue amongst the media. "There should be no differences or any voice of dissent on this important issue. Once we receive this, the proposal would be put up for public debate,'' he said.

In fact, the recent order of the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker sentencing to 15 days' simple imprisonment, the Publisher, the Editor, the Executive Editor, the Chennai Bureau Chief and the Special Correspondent of The Hindu and the Editor of Murasoli for breach of legislative privileges dominated the discussions at the "National Press Freedom Day'' celebrations.

In his inaugural address, Mr. Advani said he had "no comments'' to offer on the recent developments in Chennai as the matter was sub-judice. At the same time he said: "I have certain viewpoints on the issue, which I would make known only after the court case is over.''

Mr. Advani said that "freedom and responsibility'' were the two major issues related to the media now. "Freedom of the press is the responsibility of the Government, but the responsibility of responsibility is with the press or any organisation/institution set up by them,'' he said. Observing that there was a tendency of large-scale negative reporting in the media, Mr. Advani said: "This atmosphere of cynicism has to be removed.''

In his address, the National Human Rights Commission Chairman, Justice A.S. Anand, also refrained from making direct comment on The Hindu issue as the matter was now before the Supreme Court.

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