Speaker to enforce guidelines strictly

USE OF MOBILE PHONES INSIDE ASSEMBLY

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Feb 12: Following the recent Facebook Live and selfie update controversies in Assam Assembly, Speaker Hitendra th Goswami has decided to strictly enforce guidelines for using mobile phones inside the House. This was informed by Goswami on Sunday.

Recently, AIUDF legislator Aminul Islam was suspended by the Speaker for using Facebook Live to broadcast his speech from the House. Terming it a serious issue, the House Ethics Committee recommended suspension of the AIUDF MLA for a specific period during the current session of the Assembly. In another incident, Additiol Advocate General of Assam Devajit Saikia courted controversy after he uploaded on Facebook a selfie clicked in the Speaker’s gallery when the budget session was in progress.

The Speaker stated that ministers, MLAs, officers and people who sit in the Speaker’s gallery, the Governor’s gallery and the visitors’ gallery, from now onwards, will not be allowed to take mobile phones inside the House. Even press persons have been told by the Speaker to keep their cell phones in abeyance while attending the House proceedings for tomorrow.

Talking to media-persons, Goswami said he would give his fil ruling on the use of mobile phones in the House very soon. The Speaker also attended a meeting with the Press Reporters Committee of Assam Legislative Assembly on this issue on Sunday.