The ministry of information and broadcasting said, 'Whereas Tiranga TV news channel has shown the said media briefing (of Pakistan Army) for a duration of 20 minutes and 45 seconds and during which there was no intervention from the channel on the correctness or otherwise of the claims being made in the said media briefing in order to ensure that there is no violation of the aforementioned Rules'
New Delhi: The ministry of information and broadcasting has issued show cause notices to Tiranga TV, which is backed Congress leader Kapil Sibal, and 12 other TV channels for telecasting the media briefing of Pakistan Army spokesperson on February 22. The ministry confirmed that it took action against Tiranga TV and ABP, while other channels are kept under observation.
According to opindia website, the show cause notice to Tiranga TV was sent on February 23 for not adhering to the advisory issued by the ministry on February 14 after the terror attack in Pulwama.
Pakistan's Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden SUV into a bus carrying CRPF personnel on Srinagar-Jammu highway. 44 CRPF jawans were martyred in this dastardly act.
Apart from Tiranga TV, the 12 other channels which were issued show cause notices are, ABP News, Surya Samachar, News Nation, Zee Hindustan, TOTAL TV, ABP Majha, News18 Lokmat, Jai Maharashtra, News 18 Gujarati, News24, Sandesh News and News18 India, reported opindia.
The show cause notice stated, "...whereas, this Ministry had, in the light of the terror attack, issued an Advisory on 14.02.2019, requesting all private satellite TV channels to be particularly cautious with regard to any content which:
"(i) is likely to encourage or incite violence or contains anything against maintenance of law and order or which promotes anti-national attitude; and/or (ii) contains anything affecting the integrity of the nation; and ensure that no such content is telecast which is violative of these Codes."
"Whereas it has come to the notice of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting that Tiranga TV channel telecast media briefing of Pakistan army spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor on Pulwama terror attack between 15:41 and 16:02 hrs. on 22.2.2019. Whereas, by telecasting the said media briefing, Tiranga TV channel appears to have violated the following provisions of the Programme Code:"
"Rule 6[1](e): No programme should be carried in the cable service which is likely to encourage or incite violence or contains anything against maintenance of law and order or which promote anti-national attitudes;
"Rule 6[1] (h): No programme should be carried in the cable service which contains anything affecting the integrity of the Nation;"
It further added, "Whereas Tiranga TV news channel has shown the said media briefing for a duration of 20 minutes and 45 seconds and during which there was no intervention from the channel on the correctness or otherwise of the claims being made in the said media briefing in order to ensure that there is no violation of the aforementioned Rules."
Tiranga TV was asked to respond within seven days from the date of issue of the letter.
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