Michael Stewart has warned of a "dangerous precedent" set by the Scottish FA over his Hampden ban - branding the fallout "petty and pathetic".
The Premier Sports pundit was blocked from entering the national stadium for the Scottish Cup semi-finals last weekend for criticising the state of refereeing in Scotland.
He had been set to commentate on both fixtures but was forced to work from the broadcast truck for the Dunfermline v Falkirk match.
This brought further ire from the SFA, who extended his stadium ban to the car park.
The former Hibs and Hearts midfielder has now hit back at the governing body, arguing that he should have the right to voice his opinions without the risk of being locked out.
Stewart said: "I’m not going to sit here and play some sort of victim because I’m big and ugly enough to take it on my shoulders.
"But there’s a strain that comes with it, and for everyone else around me as well."
He emphasised his commitment to honesty and transparency in his assessments, even if they upset powerful figures.
He said: "I take a lot of pride in trying to be straight and honest with my assessment of things.
"Clearly, that upsets people in power sometimes.
"Ultimately, I’m not here to appease them."
Stewart believes a "dangerous precedent" has been set by the SFA for banning him over his opinions.
He referred to a "false narrative" claiming there had been over a year of complaints and conversations between the referees and the SFA regarding his approach.
His response was to question why the SFA hadn't communicated their concerns with Premier Sports if this was the case.
He branded the SFA's response to his car park commentary as "farcical".
He stated: "They didn’t take kindly to the fact I am still being given an opportunity on the broadcasting team on the footprint of Hampden, in the car park.
"They sent an email to Premier Sports saying they hadn’t followed what had been asked of them - whatever that means - and that I was banned from the car park."
He said: "Quite simply, it was farcical. The fallout has been petty and pathetic."
He questioned the notion of banning someone for having an opinion that differs from the institution's narrative.
In Stewart's view, the key issue is the lack of communication, with Premier Sports and himself having asked for better dialogue for the past six months.
He questioned whether it is "really a tenable position" to express dissatisfaction without communicating and then imposing a ban.
In his view: "That’s not how grown-ups behave."
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