Asianet News says bans without due process reinforce perception of coercion by regulator

After a ban imposed on it was revoked, Malayalam news channel Asianet News on Saturday said that bans without due process violate the principle of natural justice and reinforce a perception of coercion by the regulator.

The channel issued a statement after two Kerala-based channels, Asianet News and Media One, were banned for 48 hours from the evening of March 6 by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The ban was subsequently lifted after Union I & B Minister Prakash Javadekar intervened in the matter.

"Our democracy ensures every entity in India including media a due process of law before guilt or innocence is pronounced. Regrettably, we were not afforded this opportunity in the decision by the I & B Ministry to ban us for 48 hours. Bans without due process violate the principle of natural justice and reinforce a perception of coercion by the regulator," MG Radhakrishnan, Editor, Asianet News said in a release.

"It is reassuring to note that Union I & B Minister Prakash Javadekar has admitted that the ban was a mistake and he would take appropriate steps if there was any wrongdoing on the part of his ministry. Proclaiming the government's commitment to media freedom, he has also pointed out that the Prime Minister too was concerned about the incident," he added.

Asserting the importance of press freedom, Javadekar today said that two Kerala-based channels that were banned for 48 hours have been restored.

"Two Kerala channels were banned for 48 hours, we immediately found out what actually happened and immediately restored the channels. Our basic thought process is that press freedom is absolutely essential for a democratic setup," Javadekar told reporters in Pune.

Javedakar stated that Asianet News was on air on Friday night whereas Media One was restored on Saturday morning.

The ministry on Friday had suspended the broadcast of the two channels in an order which stated: "While reporting such a critical incident, the channels should have taken utmost care and should have reported it in a balanced way. Such reporting could enhance the communal disharmony across the country when the situation is highly volatile.