DHAKA: The government of India has imposed a one-day ban on the transmission or re-transmission of NDTV India channel on any platform throughout the country.

An inter-ministerial panel on Thursday (November 3) concluded that NDTV India had allegedly revealed crucial and “strategically sensitive” information when the terror attack on Pathankot’s Air Force base was being carried out, reports NDTV.

The Information and Broadcasting ministry, while invoking the powers under the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act, said it “orders to prohibit the transmission or re-transmission of NDTV India channel for one day on any platform throughout India with effect from 00:01 hrs on 9th November, 2016 till 00:01 hrs of 10th November, 2016”.

In its reply, NDTV India said that it was a case of “subjective interpretation” and that most of the information they had put out was already in the public domain in print, electronic and social media.

Meanwhile, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has criticized the government of India for putting a one-day ban on the TV channel saying it showed that an “emergency-like situation” is prevailed in the country.

The Editors Guild of India also has strongly condemned the government panel’s decision to black out NDTV India for a day and demanded that the order be immediately rescinded.

This is the first ever such order against a TV channel over its coverage of a terror attack, the norms regarding which were notified last year.

BDST: 1335 HRS, NOV 04, 2016
SR