The Centre’s Narendra Modi government has banned the transmission of Asianet News TV channel, owned by Arnab Goswami’s business partner Rajeev Chandrasekhar. Chandrasekhar is also the BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP. Also facing action for ‘irresponsible reporting is Media One TV.
According to the Livelaw website, the government order expressed dissatisfaction on reports broadcast by the two channels on the recent carnage in Delhi. The two TV channels were accused of covering the violence in Delhi ‘in a manner which highlighted the attack on places of worship and sided towards a particular community.’
The order, issued by the Modi government’s Information and Broadcasting ministry, read, “Channel’s reporting on Delhi violence seems to be biased as it is deliberately focusing on the vandalism of CAA supporters.”
As per the order, their reports on #DelhiViolence was shown in a manner which highlighted the attack on places of #worship and sided towards a particular #community.
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) March 6, 2020
The notification added, “Such telecast could incite violence & pose danger to maintenance of law & order situation, particularly when the situation is already highly volatile & charged up & riots are taking place in the area with reports of killings & bloodbath.”
The 48-hour ban on the two channels will be effective from 7.30 PM on Friday (5 March) till 7.30 PM on 8 March.
More than 53 people were killed in the Delhi carnage after BJP leader Kapil Mishra threatened to take the law into his own hands if the police did not free the city’s streets of the anti-CAA protesters.
