By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi, March 6, 2020: The federal Information and Broadcasting Ministry on March 6 imposed a 48-hour ban on two Malayalam television channels for their “coverage of the Delhi riots.”
The channels — Asianet News and MediaOne – began showing a black screen from 7:30 pm on March 6, when they were taken off air. The channels can resume broadcast only at 7:30 pm on March 8.
The order from the ministry alleges that the channels were provocative, could have incited violence, critical of police, sided with a particular community and showed those who supported the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in poor light.
MediaOne was also noted to be critical of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS.
Asianet News incurred the ministry’s wrath for a report by journalist P R Sunil on the violence in Jaffrabad and about Delhi police being mute spectators.
Meanwhile the Kerala Union of Working Journalists has condemned the ban and called for a protest rally on March 7 at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. The union members plan to first gather near the Kerala House in the national capital. Protests against the ban have reportedly erupted in various parts of Kerala.
MediaOne’s news bulletin carried a phone-in conversation with its Delhi correspondent Hassanul Banna reporting about the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protesters being injured and police’s refusal to visit the spot and nab the vandals
“It appeared that the telecast of the reports on North-East Delhi violence had been shown in a manner that highlighted the attack on places of worship and siding towards a particular community.
The channel’s reporting on Delhi violence seems to be biased as it is deliberately focusing on the vandalism of CAA supporters. It also questions RSS and alleges Delhi Police inaction. The channel seems to be critical towards Delhi Police and RSS,” the order said in relation to MediaOne.
The Ministry has further alleged that MediaOne accused the Delhi Police of remaining inactive during violence, and blamed police for vandalizing shops and fruit carts.
“The channel also reported that violence took place mostly in Muslim dominated area of Chand Bagh, Delhi. While telecasting the news, the channel carried the news of stone pelting, arson and injured people being taken to hospital,” the order says.
The report by Asianet News, the order alleges, could have ‘incited violence and posed danger to maintenance of law and order situation, particularly when the situation is already highly volatile and charged up and riots are taking place in the area’.
The order also says Asianet reported that rioters had blocked people and attacked them for their religion. It also reported that the attackers targeted Muslim houses in Hindu majority areas. Asianet also reported about shops, houses and vehicles being burnt and no action being taken as the violence continued for the third day, with the federal government not acting to control the riots.
The ministry says this report highlighted the attack on places of worship and sided with a particular community. It said the reporter had alleged that central troops had not arrived and that he had witnessed the attacks on Muslims.
Sunil’s story had, in fact, gone viral in Kerala and he had been lauded for his report that showed what happened through the day on February 25.
Both channels have been taken off air citing two rules under the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994.
Rule 6(1)(c) says that no program, which contains attack on religions or communities or visuals or words contemptuous of religious groups or which promote communal attitudes, should be carried. Rule 6(1 e), too, has been evoked by the Ministry. The rule says that no program, which is likely to encourage or incite violence or contains anything against maintenance of law and order or which promote anti-national attitudes, should be carried.
In November 2016, NDTV India was taken off air after their coverage of Pathankot terrorist attack. The channel received notice for allegedly violating norms of the Cable TV Network Rules, 1994, that prevent live coverage of anti-terrorist operations.