MLA Ponnanna Cautions Against Blanket Media Bans, Calls for Balanced Review

MLA A.S. Ponnanna speaking at the ‘Meet the Press’ event organised at the Press Club of Bengaluru on Thursday.

Bengaluru: Virajpet MLA A.S. Ponnanna, who also serves as the legal adviser to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on Thursday observed that imposing sweeping restrictions on the press, particularly in relation to the Adani Group, is neither “workable nor beneficial for a democratic framework.”

Addressing journalists at a Meet the Press interaction organised by the Press Club of Bengaluru, Ponnanna argued that judicial orders curbing media reporting should be assessed with caution. He referred to the recent directive of a Delhi court that restrained coverage of cases involving the Adani Group, noting that such blanket measures could undermine democratic principles.

“Defamation is a sensitive matter since a person’s reputation, once tarnished, cannot easily be restored. However, media has a crucial role in society, and silencing it entirely is not the answer. A review committee must examine content thoroughly before arriving at conclusions,” he remarked.

He further underlined that accurate and fair reporting enjoys constitutional protection and warned against turning legal proceedings into political battles.

While admitting that unchecked or speculative reports could harm corporate standing and destabilise financial markets, the MLA emphasised that oversight systems must simultaneously protect legitimate investigative journalism and fair criticism. “Democracy flourishes only when the media functions with reasonable freedom. Curtailing it without careful scrutiny will cause more damage than good,” he added.

Responding to questions on the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment controversy, Ponnanna defended the Chief Minister. He pointed out that despite probes by multiple central and state agencies including the Enforcement Directorate, CBI, and Lokayukta no wrongdoing was attributed to Siddaramaiah.

“A former High Court judge, P.N. Desai, submitted a report clearly stating the Chief Minister had acted within the law. Investigations have confirmed his innocence, and the matter is now settled,” Ponnanna said.

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