New Delhi: In a seeming caving in to pressure from the opposition and the media fraternity, Union information and broadcasting ministry has decided to “put on hold” the order to impose a one-day ban on the Hindi channel, NDTV India, after the broadcaster requested that the decision be reviewed.
Sources stated that the decision has been put on hold till the time the appeal is disposed of. The decision came after NDTV co-chairman Prannoy Roy met Union information and broadcasting minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday evening and discussed the issue related to the order.
Sources said that Mr Roy, while referring to the decision of the inter-ministerial committee imposing the penalty, contended that the perspective of NDTV in this regard “was perhaps not fully and adequately appreciated”.
“Roy sought a review of the decision and said that till such time the order should be put on hold,” sources stated.
It is understood that the minister agreed to the request and the ministry will review the decision and till that time the order has been put on hold.
It is learnt that Mr Naidu said that rule 6(1)(p) related to media coverage of anti-terror operations was incorporated last year after a series of advisories were issued to media organisations by the previous UPA government. He said that violations of norms related to coverage of anti-terror operations had been noticed. The I&B ministry had on November 2 ordered that hindi channel NDTV India be taken off air for a day concluding that it had violated the guidelines in its coverage of the Pathankot terror attack.
Earlier on Monday, the channel moved the Supreme Court challenging the order imposing one-day ban on the channel on November 9 for violating the guidelines on programme code while telecasting ‘terror related’ events.
The petition is likely to be heard on Tuesday. In its petition, NDTV India said it had not violated the guidelines and other channels also had telecast the same.
Earlier, Mr Naidu justified the order for ban saying that 21 channels were “banned” during the UPA regime. Many of these channels were banned, he said, for airing “midnight masala” while the present action is with regard to giving details like ammunition depot etc during the Pathankot attack.
