The Centre’s Narendra Modi government banned the Malayalam TV channel, MediaOne TV, forcing the channel to go off air. However, much to the relief to the TV channel, the Kerala High Court stayed the central government’s order.
MediaOne had gone off air after the Information and Broadcasting ministry of the Modi government refused to give it the necessary security clearance.
A statement by MediaOne had said, “The ministry has said the ban was due to security reasons, but the channel is yet to get the details on it. The Union Government has not made the details about the ban available to Mediaone TV. We have started legal action against the ban. After completing the process, the channel would be back to the audience. We are suspending the broadcasting temporarily with the hope that justice will prevail at last.”
The government’s decision had evoked strong reactions with Indian Union Muslim League MP ET Muhammed Basheer taking to Twitter to register his outrage. Basheer had written, “Centre’s ban on MediaOne TV is highly reprehensible. This is the second time that the Central Government has imposed a ban on MediaOne TV. Yet another attempt to silence the political dissent through outright fascism. All people of India should unite against this tyranny.”
Centre’s ban on MediaOne TV is highly reprehensible. This is the second time that the Central Government has imposed a ban on MediaOne TV. Yet another attempt to silence the political dissent through outright fascism. All people of India should unite against this tyranny. pic.twitter.com/YVJKgrMDbi
— E.T Muhammed Basheer (@BasheerEt) January 31, 2022
The channel had moved the Kerala High Court against the Centre’s decision. Justice N Nagaresh, according to the Livelaw website, deferred the government order and posted the matter for further hearing on Wednesday.
MediaOne was taken off air in 2020 for its coverage of the anti-Muslim pogrom in East Delhi. The government had accused the channel of violating
the provisions of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994.