Cong demands Centre to stop telecast of banned Pak, Saudi channels in J-K

Retorting to the reports of banned Pakistani and Saudi Arabia TV channels being illegally aired in Kashmiri homes and indulging in anti-India propaganda, the Congress Party on Saturday urged the Centre to take cognizance of the situation and stop the telecast of such provocative content.

Congress leader P.L. Punia demanded that the Union Government should take action stringent against the guilty.

"Situation in Jammu and Kashmir is very vulnerable and fragile and in such conditions airing of such channel is dangerous. I believe that the central government is aware of this fact and should soon should take necessary steps in the regard and stop these channels from being aired in Jammu and Kashmir and the guilty should be prosecuted," Punia told ANI.

Treading similar paths, Communist Party of India (CPI) condemned the report and urged foreign media to not meddle in internal affairs of India.

"I strongly condemn this. Foreign media should not meddle in our affairs and should not take anti-India position like this. It s highly objectionable and we strongly disapprove the airing of such anti-India versions in Jammu and Kashmir which is in great turmoil," CPI leader D.Raja told ANI.

Reports of over 50 Saudi and Pakistani channels, including Zakir Naik's banned Peace TV+ preaching Salafist Islam, and others indulging in anti-India propaganda are running without necessary clearances via private cable networks in Kashmir have come up.

Besides Naik's Peace TV Urdu and English channels, private operators air Saudi and Pakistani channels like Saudi Sunnah, Saudi Quran, Al Arabia, Paigham, Hidayat, Noor, Madani, Sehar, Karbala, Hadi, Sehar, Ary QTV , Bethat, Ahlibat, Message, Falak, Geo News, Ary News, Dawn News, and many others, which cannot be accessed through satellite television service providers. None of these channels is permitted to air in the rest of the country by the I&B ministry.