New Delhi: Sathiyam TV, a Chennai-based Tamil language news and current affairs channel, on Monday approached the Delhi high court challenging an order passed by the ministry of information and broadcasting (I&B) alleging that two of their broadcasts had portrayed Prime Minister Narendra Modi in poor light. The court issued notice to the government on the matter.
The broadcasting ministry had previously issued a show cause notice to the channel and on 12 May passed an order holding the news channel in violation of certain provisions of the Programme Code prescribed under the Cable Television Network (Cable) Act, 1995, the Cable Television Networks (Regulations) Rules.
Robin David, counsel for Sathiyam TV, argued before Justice Vaish against the alleged violation and said: “The first programme is a daily morning prayer with absolutely no political commentary. Similarly, the second programme is a current affairs programme that contains comments and opinions that are based on news report which again had no political leaning.”
Calling the impugned order factually incorrect, the news channel took recourse under the Freedom of Speech and Expression as a right under the Constitution.
The petition calls the impugned order arbitrary and states that the order had failed to examine the theme and contexts in which the purported remarks were made.
The matter will be next heard on 15 January.
