Press Statement

Ban on NDTV Condemned

04 Nov, 2016

The Indian Journalists Union (IJU), the premier and most representative organisation of working journalists in the country, strongly condemned the decision of the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to ‘ban’ NDTV India for one day on 9 November. The decision was purportedly taken as the channel allegedly violated the Cable TV Act by divulging “strategically sensitive details” while covering attack on the Pathankot air base in January.

In a statement issued on Friday, S N Sinha, President, Amar Devulapalli, Secretary-General of IJU, K Amarnath and Prabhat Dash, Members of the Press Council of India (PCI) said the action of the government portended coming back of the dark days of emergency when the media was gagged.

“The unprecedented action of the union government reminds us of the dark days of emergency when the media was shackled. This is the first time government used the provisions of the Cable Act to muzzle the media. It indicates the policy of the government and intends to be a warning signal for other media houses what is in the store for them, if the official narrative of the government is not accepted. It is strange that the NDTV was singled out for the harsh treatment even though what it broadcast was similar to what other channels and media houses did,” the statement said.

The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) demanded that the union government should immediately rescind the gag order. It pledged its support to the NDTV India in whatever action it took to defend itself. The union called upon the working journalists and editors to strongly resist the restrictions on the media in whichever form they came.