After a brief ban two Malayalam TV channels back on air
New Delhi, Mar 07: Asianet which was banned for 48 hours for its reporting on the Delhi violence is back on air. Media One, which was banned is also back on air.
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry on Friday, 6 March, suspended the broadcast of two Kerala-based news channels (Media One TV channel and Asianet News TV channel) for 48 hours over their coverage of the violence in northeast Delhi saying such reportage could enhance communal disharmony.
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, the order had said.
The
two
channels
-
Media
One
and
Asianet
News
TV
-
were
earlier
issued
a
show
cause
notice
and
after
they
filed
their
replies,
the
ministry
found
them
to
be
in
violation
of
the
Programme
Code
prescribed
under
the
Cable
Television
Networks
(Regulation)
Act,
1995.
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
read,
"Channel's
reporting
on
Delhi
violence
seems
to
be
biased
as
it
is
deliberately
focusing
on
the
vandalism
of
CAA
supporters."
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Govt bans 2 Malayalam channels for 48 hours over Delhi riots coverage
"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 notification added.
Earlier on Friday, a Delhi court sent suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain to seven-day police custody in connection with the Ankit Sharma murder case.
The death toll due to the violence in northeast Delhi last week rose to 53 on Thursday. Forty four deaths have been reported from the GTB hospital, five from RML hospital, three from LNJP hospital and one from Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital.