Close X
Thursday, November 14, 2024
ADVT 
India

'Emergency-like' Government Ban On NDTV Sparks Uproar In India

Darpan News Desk IANS, 04 Nov, 2016 12:43 PM
    Journalists and major opposition politicians on Friday strongly condemned and asked the government to immediately rescind its Emergency-like decision to ban Hindi news channel NDTV India for a day for airing "strategically sensitive details" during the Pathankot terror attack.
     
    The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has directed the news channel to go off air from the midnight of November 8 to midnight of November 9 for allegedly breaching broadcast norms in its coverage of the January 2 terror attack on the IAF base in Punjab.
     
    The NDTV in a statement strongly refuted the charges and said it "is examining all options" to challenge the government order likened to Emergency days in India, which ranks 133 among 180 countries in the 2016 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders.
     
     
    "Every channel and newspaper had similar coverage. In fact NDTV's coverage was particularly balanced. After the dark days of the Emergency when the press was fettered, it is extraordinary that NDTV is being proceeded against in this manner," the NDTV said.
     
    The channel has the option to appeal the order before a tribunal.
     
    Rallying behind the news channel, the Editors Guild of India, the Broadcast Editors Association (BEA), the News Broadcasters Association (NBA), the Indian Journalists Union (IJU) and the All India Newspaper Editors Conference (AINEC) all condemned the government decision that came after the recommendation of an inter-ministerial panel instituted by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
     
    The Editors Guild said it was an "unprecedented decision" that violated the freedom of the media and therefore of the citizens of India.
     
     
    "(It) amounts to harsh censorship imposed by the government reminiscent of the Emergency," it said. 
     
    The Guild said the central government with this decision had entrusted itself with the power to intervene in the functioning of the media and take arbitrary punitive action when it did not agree with the coverage.
     
    Echoing the concern, the BEA demanded an immediate withdrawal of the order while NBA wondered why the government singled out NDTV when other channels also covered the terror attack and "all such reports were available in the public domain".
     
    The Indian Journalists Union said the government action "portended coming back of the dark days of Emergency when the media was gagged".
     
    The Mumbai Press Club, which represents over 2,500 journalists, said the decision "does not augur well for freedom of expression of the country".
     
     
    Added the All India Newspaper Editors Conference: "It is a murder of the freedom of speech and expression, which is a step towards totalitarianism."
     
    Political leaders, including Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, RJD leader Lalu Prasad and Delhi and West Bengal Chief Ministers Arvind Kejriwal and Mamata Banerjee also condemned the "unprecedented" decision that they said reflected the government's Emergency-like attitude.
     
    "Detaining opposition leaders, blacking out TV channels - all in a day's work in Modiji's India. NDTV Banned - shocking and unprecedented," Gandhi tweeted.
     
    Kejriwal said he hoped the "whole media" would go off air for a day to express solidarity with NDTV India.
     
    Banerjee said: "The NDTV ban is shocking. If the government had issues with the Pathankot coverage, there are provisions available. But the ban shows an Emergency-like attitude."
     
     
    Lalu Prasad questioned Prime Minister Modi over "what kind of democracy" he was building in India.
     
    Swaraj Abhiyan of activists Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan said banning NDTV "is a clear indication that the present government is intolerant to any independent voices. The message is loud and clear - Either fall in line, or get muzzled!"

    MORE India ARTICLES

    Charanjit Singh Channi Demands Arrest Of Sukhbir Singh, Bikram Singh Majithia

    Charanjit Singh Channi Demands Arrest Of Sukhbir Singh, Bikram Singh Majithia
    Submitting two complaints to Director General of Police Suresh Arora in this regard, he alleged that the name of Majithia had surfaced in the drug scam long time back.

    Charanjit Singh Channi Demands Arrest Of Sukhbir Singh, Bikram Singh Majithia

    Opposition Congress Legislators 'Sleep' In Punjab Assembly

    Opposition Congress Legislators 'Sleep' In Punjab Assembly
    Protesting against the ruling SAD-BJP government in Punjab, opposition Congress legislators spent their night in the assembly here and will stay in it till Wednesday morning when the house assembles again.

    Opposition Congress Legislators 'Sleep' In Punjab Assembly

    BJP slams AAP for suspending MLA Col. Devinder Sehrawat

    BJP slams AAP for suspending MLA Col. Devinder Sehrawat
    The BJP on Monday slammed the AAP for suspending its party legislator Devinder Sehrawat instead of answering the serious questions raised by him.

    BJP slams AAP for suspending MLA Col. Devinder Sehrawat

    Congress Occupies Punjab Assembly To Protest Against State Government

    Congress Occupies Punjab Assembly To Protest Against State Government
    Congress lawmakers spent Monday night inside the Punjab assembly, seeking a debate on the no-confidence motion against the ruling SAD-BJP government, which was defeated by voice vote.

    Congress Occupies Punjab Assembly To Protest Against State Government

    'I Won't Let A Haryanvi, Delhiwala Become The Chief Minister Of Punjab'

    'I Won't Let A Haryanvi, Delhiwala Become The Chief Minister Of Punjab'
    Congress Leader Amarinder Singh today challenged Arvind Kejriwal to fight from any seat of his choice in the upcoming polls and said he won't let a "Haryanvi", "Delhiwala" become the chief minister of Punjab.

    'I Won't Let A Haryanvi, Delhiwala Become The Chief Minister Of Punjab'

    Pargat Singh Resigns From Shiromani Akali Dal

    Pargat Singh Resigns From Shiromani Akali Dal
    The legislator from Jalandhar cantonment, who was recently suspended from the SAD for his alleged anti-party activities, sent his resignation to Mr Badal.

    Pargat Singh Resigns From Shiromani Akali Dal