NDTV India moves SC against government's ban order

NDTV India on Monday moved the Supreme Court against the government’s order banning its telecast for a day on November 9 for its coverage of the Pathankot terror attack.

The petition challenges the constitutional validity of the government order, the channel said in filing to the stock exchanges.

In the filing, NDTV said the ministry of information and broadcasting had directed stopping of transmission or re-transmission of its Hindi news channel, NDTV India for a day from 00.01 hrs of November 9, 2016 till 00.01 hrs of November 10, 2016.

“We now update that NDTV Ltd and others have filed a writ petition before the Hon’ble Supreme Court challenging the said order, inter-alia, challenging the constitutional validity of the said order and the provisions of law pursuant to which the said order has purportedly been passed,” the company said.

Sources said a senior advocate is likely to mention the matter on Tuesday, a day before the channel has been asked to keep away from broadcasting.

On its website, NDTV has mentioned that it has challenged the government’s one-day ban.

NDTV has refuted the allegations and pointed out that other channels and newspapers reported the same information.

The ban has been widely condemned by journalists and editors with all press councils drawing parallels to the Emergency of the 1970s when basic constitutional rights including the freedom of the press were blatantly violated, the channel said on its website.