BEA demands withdrawal of one-day ban on channel

In a statement, the BEA, which has senior journalists of leading news channels as members, said that it would go into the issue in detail and come out with a comprehensive report on it. “Broadcast Editors’ Association expressed deep concern at the government’s decision to ban NDTV India for a day. Imposing a ban is a violation of freedom of expression and the decision should be withdrawn immediately,” the BEA said in a statement on Friday. 

The statement, issued added that the editors’ association would go into the issue. Earlier, the I&B ministry had issued an ordered saying that NDTV India should be taken off air for a day after an inter-ministerial panel recommended this action over the broadcaster’s coverage of the Pathankot terror attack in January. The panel had concluded that the channel ‘ NDTV India’ had revealed crucial and ‘strategically sensitive’ information when the terror attack on an IAF base was being carried out. The broadcaster in its statement has claimed that ‘ NDTV India’ had been ‘particularly balanced’ in its coverage and is shocked at being ‘singled out’.

Terming as ‘shocking’ the I&B ministry order on taking off air its Hindi news channel for a day over the Pathankot terror attack coverage, NDTV has alleged that it has been ‘singled out’ and said it is examining all options in the matter.

“The order of the MIB has been received. It is shocking that NDTV has been singled out in this manner. Every channel and newspaper had similar coverage. In fact NDTV’s coverage was particularly balanced,” a statement posted by the broadcaster on its website said. The statement further added that “after the dark days of the emergency when the press was fettered, it is extraordinary that NDTV is being proceeded against in this manner.” NDTV, it said, is examining all options in this matter. This is the first such order against a TV channel over its coverage of a terror attack, the norms regarding which were notified last year.

The one-day ban on a leading Hindi TV channel ‘NDTV India’ by the Centre over its coverage of Pathankot attack drew sharp condemnation on Friday opposition parties and media bodies which called it ‘shocking and authoritarian’ and reminiscent of Emergency days.

The leaders of the non-BJP parties and the media bodies also demanded immediate withdrawal of the order imposing the blackout on November 9. There was also a suggestion by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh that all newspapers and channels ‘show courage’ and ‘go off air and not publish’ on that day to register their protest. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the order of the inter-ministerial panel of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry showed that an emergency-like situation prevailed in the country while Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi slammed it as ‘shocking and unprecedented’.