TNI Bureau: Journalists in Bhubaneswar staged a protest on Wednesday after being barred from carrying mobile phones inside the press gallery.

Demanding immediate revocation of ban, media fraternities gathered beside the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the Assembly to stage a demonstration. One senior journalist named Bhagabat Tripathy fell ill during the ongoing protest.

While sources said the ban was imposed to prevent any disruptions during the legislative sessions, the protesting journalists claimed that the ban is an attempt to muzzle their voice and prevent them from reporting freely.

It is pertinent to mention here that the journalists were given envelopes at the entrance and instructed to deposit their mobile phones before entering the press gallery.

Restriction on mobile phones in the Legislative Assembly has been revoked by the State Government. Odisha Minister Suryavansari Suraj said that mobile restrictions have been lifted but photography and video recording are prohibited in the media gallery.

Several videos of scuffle between the ruling and opposition members inside the Odisha Assembly, recorded on mobile phones surfaced on social media.