The Minister for Information & Broadcasting, M Venkaiah Naidu, on Saturday said that the “belated criticism” of the action proposed to be taken against NDTV India for violating the norms of live coverage of anti-terrorist operations at Pathankot in January, “is clearly ill informed and politically inspired''.

The I & B Ministry had on Thursday asked NDTV India to go off-air for a day on November 9-10 for violating the programming norms.

Venkaiah Naidu pointed out that during 2005-14, the UPA government had ordered several TV channels to go off air in 21 instances, for a period ranging from one day-two months.

He said this was done for showing obscene visuals, including 13 cases of telecasting “Adult” rated certified films during midnight. He also said that the UPA government had infact taken one channel off-air for 30 days for telecasting a sting operation.

“People of the country are also wise enough to appreciate which of the two violations – showing obscene visuals at the stroke of midnight and risking the lives of defence personnel and civilians through a live telecast of anti-terrorist operations in broad day light - is a serious threat to the interests of the nation, including its sovereignty, integrity and security,” he said in a statement.

Explaining the position of the Ministry on the matter, he said that the decision against NDTV India was not based on any "newly invented rule" but a culmination of the larger security concerns being expressed since 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

“The ground on which action has been proposed against NDTV India was only a logical conclusion of concerns clearly articulated by the UPA Government in various advisories issued after 26/11 terror attacks on multiple targets in Mumbai in 2008,” he added.

He said that the UPA government had issued advisories several times, asking all news and current affairs TV channels to exercise restraint, maturity and sensitivity while reporting on anti-terrorist operations. He said that the UPA government had also said that any coverage violating such norms amounts to coverage against national interests.

The NDA government has also issued several advisories and noted continued violations as in the case of Gurdaspur terrorist attack, he added.

“As the Government is deeply committed to uphold the sovereignty, integrity and security of the country, particularly, in the context of cross border terrorism, it issued a Gazette Notification in March this year requiring TV channels to limit live coverage of anti-terrorist operations to the briefings of designated officers, in the larger security interests involved,“ the Minister explained in a statement.

He said that NDTV India had been found to have violated this provision and “was found to be unrepentant about what they have done. This channel was also found to have resorted to similar violations earlier."

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW