The Editors Guild of India issued a strong statement condemning the government’s decision to black out NDTV India for a day on November 9,2016 saying the move brings back memories of the emergency.
“The decision to take the channel
off the air for a day is a direct violation of the freedom of the media
and therefore the citizens of India and amounts to harsh censorship
imposed by the government reminiscent of the Emergency,” the Guild said.
It demanded that the order be immediately rescinded.
An inter-ministerial committee of the Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting has recommended that NDTV India be taken
off the air for a day after it concluded that channel had revealed
“strategically sensitive” information while covering the Pathankot
terrorist attacks.
The charge against NDTV
India is that it broadcast information on ammunition stockpiled in the
Pathankot airbase, which could “cause massive harm not only to the
national security, but also to lives of civilians and defence personnel”
if it was picked up by the terrorist handlers.
However,
NDTV, in a statement posted on its website said that its Hindi channel
has been singled out. It said that every channel and newspaper had
similar coverage and that NDTV India’s was “particularly balanced”. The
committee in its order observed that the channel "appeared to give out
the exact location of the remaining terrorists with regard to the
sensitive assets in their vicinity" when they telecast in real time.
The Editors Guild statement said that this
first-of-its-kind order by the government is a direct violation of the
freedom of the media and amounts to harsh censorship. It further said
that “there are various legal remedies available to both a citizen and a
state in the Court of law to have action taken for any irresponsible
media coverage.”
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