SC stays deaccreditation of NE TV

New Delhi, Feb 9 (UNI) The Supreme Court today stayed the order of the Asom Government cancelling the accreditation cards of North-East Television thereby preventing it from covering the 33rd National Games starting today in Guwahati.

A bench comprising Justices K G Balakrishnan and P K Jain stayed the operation of the impugned order dated February 6, 2007, thereby permitting the petitioner television channel to cover the National Games which are going to be inaugurated by the Congress President Sonia Gandhi this afternoon.

Senior Counsel Harish Salve appearing for the petitioner alleged the order has been passed as the channel has exposed the killing of innocent persons by militant organisations like ULFA and others in various places of the North-East and it amounted to violation of freedom of speech.

The television network covers eight languages spoken in the all the states of the North-East.

According to the petitioners the NE TV has always highlighted issues related to national security and sovereignty.

UNI