The Madras High Court on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, wanted to know why the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly cannot be telecast at the end of every business day after removing only the portions that had been expunged from the records. The question was raised during the hearing of a case which complained of highly selective telecast of the proceedings after removing questions raised by the opposition members.
First Division Bench of Chief Justice S.V. Gangapurwala and Justice P.D. Audikesavalu also wanted to know when Speaker M. Appavu had told the House that “it is not possible to live telecast, immediately, the speeches of the frontline leaders made during Zero Hour. It is only possible to live telecast the speeches if it is unanimously assured by all the party leaders that the subject alone would be discussed on the floor of the House.”
Since Assembly Secretary K. Srinivasan, in his additional counter affidavit to a couple of writ petitions, had quoted the Speaker as having also told the House that “live telecasting is under the consideration of the Chair” but had not mentioned the date on which statement was made, the judges asked Advocate General R. Shunmugasundaram to ascertain by June 26 the exact date when the Speaker had said so in the Assembly.
