48-hour ban on two Malayalam channels over Delhi violence coverage

Tribune Web Desk
Chandigarh, March 6

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has banned two Malayalam channels, Asianet TV News and MediaOne, for their coverage of the communal riots that northeast Delhi witnessed last week.

In two separate orders, the ministry prohibited “transmission and re-transmission” of the two channels for 48 hours— two days—starting at 7.30 pm on Friday, March 6.

Both channels have a black screen since 7.30 pm on Friday.

The two channels had been critical of the Delhi Police in their coverage of the riots.

News portal The News Minute claimed that it was a report by Asianet News channel’s PR Sunil that led to a ban on the channel. In his report, the journalist, while covering violence in Jaffrabad, accused Delhi Police of being mute spectators as rioters had a free hand.

News portal The News Minute claimed that it was a report by Asianet News channel’s PR Sunil that led to a ban on the channel. In his report, the journalist, while covering violence in Jaffrabad, accused Delhi Police of being mute spectators as rioters had a free hand.

As for MediaOne, the portal said it was a phone-in conversation with its Delhi correspondent Hassanul Banna that led to the ban. In coverage that was along the same lines as the other one, the reporter claimed that vandals filed at an anti-CAA protest from the rooftop and also accused police of refusing to visit the site of the violence and detain the vandals.

In its order against MediaOne, the ministry order said: “Whereas it appeared that telecast of reports on North-East Delhi violence had been shown in a manner which highlighted the attack on places of worship and siding towards a particular community. Channel’s reporting on Delhi violence seems to be biased as it is deliberately focusing on the vandalism of CM supporters. It also questions RSS and alleges Delhi Police inaction. Channel seems to be critical towards Delhi Police and RSS”.

The RSS stands for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a Hindu right-wing organisation that acts as the ideological parent of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

The order against Asianet said: “Whereas it appeared that telecast of reports on North-East Delhi violence had been shown in a manner which highlighted the attack on places of worship and siding towards a particular community”.

In both orders, the ministry said the coverage could lead to “communal disharmony”. The order against MediaOne said: “Such reporting could enhance the communal disharmony across the country when the situation is highly volatile. The Ministry has time and again issued advisories to all news channels to comply by the provisions of the rules. Due care and responsibility is expected while reporting news based on such incidents. However, it is abundantly clear that the channel has not adhered to the programme codes and has shown irresponsibility by not fully complying to them. After careful consideration of the case on the whole, the Ministry has come to the conclusion that Media One TV channel had violated Rule 6 (1) (c) & (e) of the Programme Code prescribed under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and the rules framed thereunder by telecasting said news regarding the North East Delhi violence”.

In its order against Asianet, the ministry said: “While reporting such critical incident, the channel (Asianet News T/) should have taken utmost care and should have reported it in a balanced way. Such reporting could enhance the communal disharmony across the country when the situation is highly volatile. The Ministry has time and again issued Advisories to all News Channels to comply by the provisions of the rules. Due care and responsibility is expected while reporting news based on such incidents. However, it is abundantly clear that the channel has not adhered to the Programme codes and has shown irresponsibility by not fully complying to them. The Ministry has come to the conclusion that Asianet News TV channel had violated Rule 6 (1) (c)& (e) of the Programme Code prescribed under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and the rules framed thereunder by telecasting said news regarding the North East Delhi violence”.

The ministry also said that the two channels had been previously issued notice and that the ministry had found them in violation after reading their response.

Some 44 people had been killed and some 200 people wounded in the communal riots that racked northeast Delhi last week.

MediaOne calls order ‘arbitrary’

In response to its show cause notice, the MediaOne channel management maintained that the allegations made were “arbitrary and unreasonable”.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala hit out at the government saying: “BJP government will have ‘no discussion’ on Delhi Riots! But they have clamped down upon @asianetnewstv & @MediaOneTVLive! Subjugate, stifle, suppress is the ‘mantra’ of BJP! Is this ‘New India’?” Condemning the move, CPI general secretary D Raja said, “This is nothing but strangling the voice of media. This is fascism in action”.

The Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) have called for a protest against the 48-hour ban on Asianet and Media One at Jantar Mantar here. With PTI