Guwahati: Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Thomas A. Sangma on Wednesday prohibited legislators from recording selfie videos inside the House and sharing them on social media, stating that such actions violate parliamentary decorum.
The ruling followed an incident involving Opposition, Voice of the People’s Party (VPP) chief Ardent Basaiawmoit, who had uploaded a video clip of himself attending the ongoing Budget Session. The post was subsequently deleted.
Observing that a member had filmed himself while participating in proceedings and circulated the footage online, the Speaker termed the act a breach of established parliamentary practices. He noted that the conduct was inconsistent with the spirit of Rule 275 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, which lays down standards to be observed by members. The Speaker made it clear that recording videos inside the House and disseminating them on social platforms would henceforth be prohibited.
Earlier in the day, the Assembly witnessed heated exchanges between the treasury and Opposition benches over the demand for implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state.
Raising the matter during Question Hour, Basaiawmoit criticised the government for, as he put it, exploring alternatives rather than pursuing full-fledged implementation of the ILP. He expressed concern over delays and sought clarity on whether the government remained serious about the issue, adding that discussions around an ILP-like mechanism had created confusion among the public.
Responding to the criticism, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said the government had been taking steps to address illegal immigration, including enforcing provisions under the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA). He also pointed out that the state continued to press the Centre to implement the ILP in line with the resolution passed by the Assembly.
Sangma emphasised that the objective of the regulatory mechanism under legislation enacted in 2025 was to strengthen monitoring systems and prevent illegal entry. Referring to the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, he said the law provided a consolidated framework to regulate the entry, stay and tracking of foreign nationals. He explained that the proposed system was intended as a permit-based monitoring arrangement for restricted areas and did not entail intrusive intervention. The state, he added, had urged the Centre to consider declaring certain areas as protected zones requiring prior permits for foreigners.
The Chief Minister also countered the Opposition’s charge by noting that Basaiawmoit had previously met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the ILP demand, and questioned whether the matter had been followed up with the Centre since the Assembly resolution.
The remarks triggered loud protests from the Opposition, leading to a high-decibel confrontation. Amid the uproar, Speaker Thomas A. Sangma adjourned the House for 10 minutes.
When proceedings resumed, the Speaker urged members to maintain decorum and disallowed certain allegations raised by VPP MLA Adelbert Nongrum.
Later, the Chief Minister said technology-driven visitor monitoring systems were already operational in Meghalaya and that the government was examining ways to enhance regulatory mechanisms without adversely affecting sectors such as tourism.