Meghalaya Speaker prohibits selfie videos in House amid stormy ILP clash

Shillong, Feb 18: Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma, on Wednesday, banned recording of selfie videos inside the House and posting these on social media by MLAs, citing that such activities breach the parliamentary decorum.

The ruling came after Opposition Voice of the People's Party (VPP) chief Ardent Basaiawmoit on Tuesday uploaded a video clip showing him attending the Budget Session. Later, the legislator deleted the post.

"A member has taken a video of himself while participating in the proceedings inside the House. It was circulated on social media. This is a breach of parliamentary practices and decorum," the Speaker said.

He also said it was "not in keeping with the spirit of the rules to be observed by members provided by Rule 275 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business".

"I hereby inform the House that such an activity, a member taking video of himself while speaking inside the House and circulating it on social media, is prohibited. This is my ruling."

Earlier in the day, ruling and opposition MLAs engaged in a war of words over the demand for the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state.

Raising the issue during the Question Hour, Basaiawmoit alleged that the government was examining alternatives instead of pushing for full implementation of ILP.

"We are yet to see the light of the day. Influx comes from other states, and I would like a sincere reply whether the government is serious when it comes to ILP," the VPP legislator said, adding that the continued talk of an ILP-like system had created confusion among the public.

Responding to the charge, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the government has been actively taking measures to curb illegal immigration and had already implemented laws such as the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), besides pursuing the Centre to implement the ILP as per the resolution passed by the assembly.

Sangma maintained that the objective of the proposed mechanism under the new law passed in 2025 remains the same, that is, "to strengthen monitoring and prevent illegal entry".

The Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, provides a consolidated legal framework to regulate the entry, stay and monitoring of foreign nationals in India, he said.

"The purpose is to have a monitoring system for illegal immigration. It is simply a permit before someone enters a restricted area, and there is no aspect of intervention," Sangma said, adding that the state has sought the Centre's consideration for declaring certain areas as protected zones requiring prior permits for foreigners.

Sangma also countered the opposition's criticism by stating that Basaiawmoit himself had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the ILP demand, and questioned whether he had followed it up with the Centre.

"Since the passing of the resolution, the VPP leader has not met them even once," he said, sparking loud protests from the opposition benches.

The exchange quickly escalated into a high-decibel confrontation between the treasury and opposition benches, prompting Speaker Thomas A Sangma to adjourn the House for 10 minutes.

When proceedings resumed, the speaker directed members to maintain decorum and disallowed certain allegations raised by VPP MLA Adelbert Nongrum during the debate.

The Chief Minister later said technology-based visitor monitoring systems already exist in the state and that the government is examining how enhanced mechanisms could be implemented without adversely affecting other sectors, including tourism.

PTI