Centre puts order banning NDTV India for a day on hold

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has decided to ‘put on hold’ the order to impose a one day ban on the Hindi channel NDTV India, after the broadcaster requested that the decision be reviewed.

Officials said that the decision has been put on hold till the time the appeal is disposed of.

According to officials sources, NDTV co-chairman Prannoy Roy on Monday met Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and discussed the issue related to the order.

Sources said that Roy, while referring to the decision of the inter-ministerial committee imposing the penalty, contended that the perspective of NDTV in this regard ‘was perhaps not fully and adequately appreciated’.

‘Roy sought a review of the decision and said that till such time the order should be put on hold,’ a senior official said.

Officials said that Naidu agreed to the request and the ministry will review the decision and till that time the order has been put on hold.

It is learnt that Naidu said that rule 6(1) (p) related to media coverage of anti-terror operations was incorporated last year after a series of advisories were issued to media organisations by the previous United Progressive Alliance government.

He said that violations of norms related to coverage of anti-terror operations had been noticed.

The I&B ministry had on November 2 ordered that Hindi channel NDTV India be taken off air for a day concluding that it had violated the guidelines in its coverage of the Pathankot terror attack.