Finance Ministry restrictions: Editors Guild calls it 'gag' on media freedom

NEW DELHI: The Editors Guild of India has condemned the finance ministry’s decision to deny even government-accredited journalists access to its offices in North Block without prior appointment, saying it is a curb on the media. “This order is a gag on media freedoms and can even result in a further fall in India’s global press freedom rankings, especially as the contagion can easily spread to other ministries as well,” the guild said in a statement on Wednesday.

“If the finance minister believes that journalists’ access to government offices was causing some inconveniences, the system could be improved in discussions with journalists,” it said, urging finance minister to reconsider her decision and withdraw the order.

Journalists are accredited after a careful security check process and have so far been allowed entry into government offices without prior appointment. The only departure is in the runup to the budget, when journalists are not allowed entry to the finance ministry without appointment. However, this quarantine is usually lifted after the budget is presented.


This year, no such communication has been sent and even journalists with valid PIB accreditation have been denied entry without appointment. Subsequently, the finance ministry issued a statement saying there was no ban on the entry of journalists and that a procedure had been put in place for “streamlining and facilitating” the entry of journalists.