NDTV questions validity of one-day ban, moves SC against govt order

The media company has filed a writ petition questioning the constitutional validity of government action,

NDTV Ltd, the parent company which operates NDTV India, has approached the Supreme Court against a recent government order banning broadcast of the news channel. The media company has filed a writ petition questioning the constitutional validity of the government action, the firm informed the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).

An Information & Broadcasting (I&B) ministry order dated November 2 had asked NDTV India, a Hindi news channel from NDTV group, to go off air for 24 hours between midnight of November 9 and midnight of November 10. The order, citing various sections, including Section 20(2) & 20(3) of the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act, 1995, said that the chennel's coverage divulged "strategically sensitive" information during its coverage of the Pathankot terrorist attack in January. It alleged that the channel's broadcast during early afternoon of January 4, when the combat at the air force station at Pathankot was on, revealed various details on properties, locations and security personnel that could have helped the terrorist outfit.

"NDTV Ltd and others have filed a writ petition before the Hon’ble Supreme Court challenging the said order, inter-alia, challenging the constitutional validity of the said order and the provisions of law pursuant to which the said order has purportedly been passed", a letter that NDTV Ltd sent to the BSE today read.

Citing a January 4 military press conference in Pathankot, editors across media houses said all the information the channel gave out was made public by government agencies. At a press conference held jointly by the army, air force and National Security Guard (NSG) officials on January 4, the media was briefed about the counter-insurgency operation, including the position of properties, senior officials present at the spot, number of soldiers deployed and the number of terrorists killed.

Since, the I&B ministry has served the order, editors and politicians, among others, have condemned the harsh move. Vineet Jain, managing director of India's biggest media house Bennett, Coleman & Co, and Aroon Purie, editor-in-chief and chairman, India Today Group, expressed their opinion against banning a news channel. Rajdeep Sardesai, consulting editor at India Today, said the government should have consulted the News Broadcasting Standards Authority, the self-regulatory body for the news medua industry, before putting a ban.

Historian Ramachandra Guha, The Wire founder editor Siddharth Varadarajan, India Today and AajTak Managing Director Rahul Kanwal and also tweeted condemning the order. Politicians such as Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bahujan Samajwadi Party chief Mayawati, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechuri, and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prashad Yadav have voiced their concerns over the government ban.