Newspapers body welcomes SC verdict on government ads

The Indian Languages Newspapers' Association on Wednesday welcomed the Supreme Court judgment banning the use of pictures of political leaders, apart from the prime minister and the president, in government advertisements.

"ILNA had been complaining that politicians in power are using selected publications, generally in English ones, to promote themselves.

"Language newspapers, specially medium and small ones and also large but from smaller places were denied these advertisements. This is discriminatory as few players are cornering all government advertising and ILNA has been raising this issue again and again," it said in a statement.

It said it made an extensive representation before the committee headed by N.R. Madhava Menon, set by the Supreme Court to advise it on the issue.

It said a similar judgment should be obtained on tender and government notices, which should go to newspapers published from smaller towns as it demanded a level playing field for "all newspapers, small or big, in Indian languages or English.

In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court prohibited the use of photographs of political leaders, including ministers, in advertisements issued by the government and its agencies, saying that it leads to promotion of a personality cult.

It, however, permitted the use of photographs of the president, prime minister, Chief Justice of India and departed leaders, including Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, in such advertisements.