Moments after media-persons staged a walkout and decided to boycott the proceedings of Jammu and Kashmir assembly, the Jammu and Kashmir government issued an order, saying that the journalists could now carry their phones and cameras inside the House.
“It has now been decided by the concerned authorities that the Journalists can carry Video/Still Cameras and Mobile Phones inside the Press Gallery of the Legislature for the coverage of the special session which recommenced here today on 4th July 2017,” said the order.
Earlier, media-persons staged a walkout from the press gallery to protest the government gag on phones and cameras.
They had decided to boycott the proceedings of the special session called on the GST implementation in the state.
Meanwhile, Devender Rana of National Conference said that the government has declared emergency in the House to pass the GST bill.
Opposition parties, separatists, civil society and Kashmiri businessmen have been opposing the GST.
They say that the new tax law infringes on residual political autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir and its special powers to legislate on financial matters.
