Kashmir mediapersons call off house boycott

Mediapersons here Wednesday called off their boycott of the proceedings in the Jammu and Kashmir legislature over Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone’s controversial remarks made earlier this week.

The newspersons, upset with the speaker’s remarks Monday that the “media is under my control” and that they will have to disclose their sources to him, decided to boycott house proceedings.

Over 100 media persons staged a sit-in Tuesday outside the main gate of the state assembly demanding that the speaker “take back” his remarks about the media.

The speaker had declined suggestions that he should send an appeal to the media to return to the house.

The stand-off was resolved after some political leaders intervened and persuaded the two sides to accommodate each other’s view-point.