Hon. Lal Premanath
2026-03-03
Hon. Lal Premanath raised concerns about the physical safety of regional journalists, noting that they face serious risks—including assault and killing—from political and criminal elements when reporting on the ground. He observed that accreditation cards, currently their primary form of protection, are frequently disregarded, and asked whether the Ministry has plans to introduce more substantive protective measures for journalists beyond accreditation.
My second supplementary:
Regional journalists performing ground-level duties have often faced grave insecurity for reporting the truth—even assaults and killings, including by political or underworld elements. Their only protection is often just an accreditation card, which is sometimes ignored. I propose that the Government establish protection measures beyond mere accreditation. Does the Ministry have such a plan?