NDTV channel told to go off air for a day

In an unprecedented move, an inter-ministerial committee of the Union Information and Broadcasting ministry has recommended NDTV India be taken off air for a day after it concluded that the broadcaster had revealed “strategically-sensitive” details while covering the terror attack on an IAF base in Pathankot.

In a first such action against a news channel — for coverage of a terrorist strike — the inter ministerial panel has asked NDTV India to be taken off air for a day on November 9.

The ministry invoked 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 Novembe 9, 2016, till 00:01 hrs of November 10, 2016”.

The norms for coverage of terrorist strikes were notified last year by the government. The panel felt that “such crucial information” could have been readily picked by terrorist handlers and had the potential to “cause massive harm not only to the national security, but also to lives of civilians and defence personnel.”

Sources alleged that while the anti-terror operation was still on in January this year, the channel revealed the ammunition stockpiled in the airbase, MIGs, fighter-planes, rocket-launchers, mortars, helicopters, fuel-tanks etc. “The information could have been used by the terrorists or their handlers to cause massive harm to the country,” sources added.

A showcause notice was issued to the channel but the channel replied that it was a case of “subjective interpretation” and the most of the information they had put out was already in public domain in print, electronic and social media. The panel, however, observed that the channel “appeared to give out the exact location of the remaining terrorists with regard to the sensitive assets in their vicinity”.