New Delhi: The New Delhi Television Limited (NDTV) has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s one-day ban on its Hindi channel NDTV India for allegedly showing sensitive details during the Pathankot terror attack in January this year. NDTV has also informed its investors about the move. The television media company’s advocates moved a petition seeking immediate relief.
The petition said, “This is in continuation of our earlier announcement in relation to the order of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting against New Delhi Television Limited’s (“NDTV Ltd.”) Hindi news channel, ‘NDTV India’ directing it to stop the transmission or re-transmission of channel for one day from 00:01 hrs of November 9, 2016 till 00:01 hrs of November 10, 2016. We now update that NDTV Ltd. and others have filed a writ petition before the Hon’ble Supreme Court challenging the said order, inter-alia, challenging the constitutional validity of the said order and the provisions of law pursuant to which the said order has purportedly been passed."
Last week, the I&B Ministry had asked NDTV India to go off air for a day on November 9 for showing some “sensitive” details during Fidayeen attack on Pathankot airbase in Punjab. Several media bodies including the Editors Guild of India strongly protested the government's move calling it an “emergency like situation”.
The Centre has defended the decision. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu in a tweet said that nation should be above Freedom of Speech.
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