Media Gag on Pathankot coverage: ‘Shocked’ NDTV issues statement, examines options

On Thursday, NDTV group has issued a statement condemning the day-long broadcasting ban imposed on the group's Hindi channel--NDTV India--by the Information and Broadcasting ministry.

New Delhi, Nov 4: Hours after the government asked NDTV India to go off air for a day over its Pathankot coverage, the private news channel has issued a statement on Thursday.

NDTV India, the Hindi news channel, is a part of the NDTV group, an Indian television media company, founded by veteran journalist Prannoy Roy and and his wife Radhika in 1988.

The channel, in its statement, has expressed "shock" over the gag. The statement adds that its coverage was "balanced".

Below is the full statement issued by NDTV against the ban:

The order of the MIB has been received. It is shocking that NDTV has been singled out in this manner. Every channel and newspaper had similar coverage. In fact NDTV's coverage was particularly balanced. After the dark days of the emergency when the press was fettered, it is extraordinary that NDTV is being proceeded against in this manner. NDTV is examining all options in this matter.

Earlier on Thursday, the Information and Broadcasting ministry's inter-ministerial committee has recommended that news channel NDTV India be taken off air for 24 hours for allegedly revealing "strategically-sensitive information" during the course of its coverage of the anti-terror operations at the Pathankot airbase earlier this year.

The first-of-its-kind order has imposed a blackout prohibiting "the transmission or re-transmission of NDTV India channel for one day on any platform throughout India with effect from 00:01 hrs on 9th November to 00:01 hrs of 10th November".

In fact, several senior journalists have condemned the government's action against the TV channel on social media.

This is what senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai had tweeted:

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