Joining the bandwagon of protest against the one-day ban on Hindi news channel NDTV India, an association of Hindi journalists from here has termed it as "anti-democratic" and demanded its revocation.
Mumbai Hindi Patrakar Sangh, a prominent body of Hindi journalists across the megapolis slammed the move through a statement.
"Mumbai Hindi Patrakar Sangh strongly condemns the Information and Broadcasting ministry's decision of asking Hindi news channel NDTV India to go off-air for one day. The order is anti-democratic in entirety.
"We demand that the I&B Ministry should immediately quash the order as it is arbitrary and violates the fundamental principles of freedom of expression as enshrined in our Constitution," the statement said.
An inter-ministerial committee, in its inquiry last week had found that the channel's coverage of the Pathankot air base attack in January had "flouted the rules by giving out sensitive information". It also imposed one-day ban on the channel on November 9.
The Sangh alleged that NDTV has been "singled out" as its coverage was "balanced".
"Mumbai Hindi Patrakar Sangh is of the firm view that this banning decision is an axe over the freedom of press and the channel's coverage was more balanced in comparison to other channels or media houses. This is nothing less than emergency imposed over the country," it added.
Meanwhile, NDTV India today moved the Supreme Court against the government's order banning its telecast for a day on November 9.
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