New Delhi: The Modi government has allowed Sudarshan News, a Hindi channel frequently under the scanner for communal content, to air a controversial programme that seeks to “expose” a “conspiracy to infiltrate Muslims” into the Indian civil services.
The programme is part of a series called Bindas Bol, hosted by Sudarshan News editor-in-chief Suresh Chavhanke. In an order issued Thursday, the Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry said it cannot pre-censor a programme, or stop it from being telecast.
“If only, when the programme is telecast and any violation of law is found, action can be taken,” the order states.
Indian broadcast rules do not permit pre-censorship of TV programmes and advertisements — that is banning them before they are aired — and only films and film trailers are pre-certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
The Sudarshan News episode came to light after the channel released a promotional trailer, terming the alleged conspiracy “bureaucracy jihad” and “UPSC jihad”. The trailer at once elicited widespread criticism, with many alleging the content amounted to hate speech.
The episode was also challenged in the Delhi High Court, which stayed its telecast. When Sudarshan News approached the court to vacate the stay, the latter asked the I&B Ministry to take a call.
In its order, the ministry called the controversy surrounding the show a “peculiar situation” where the programme has not yet been telecast but has drawn complaints on the basis of its promo.
The ministry said it had sent a notice to Sudarshan News seeking its comments on whether the show adheres to the programme code. The channel replied in a written submission that it is not violative of the law and action can be taken against it if the show turns out to be, the ministry added.
“…Sudarshan TV is hereby directed to ensure that the programme proposed to be telecast does not violate any of the programme codes,” the ministry said in its order.
“If any violation of the programme code is found, action as per law will be taken.”
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What the rules say
Section 20 of the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, states that the government can regulate or prohibit the transmission or retransmission of any programme that it feels is not in conformity with the Programme and Advertising Code, which oversees television content in India. However, since there is no body to pre-certify content for TV, potentially problematic programmes only come to notice once they have been aired.
The Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC), under the I&B Ministry, monitors the content telecast on private TV channels to check if they adhere to the Programme and Advertising Code.
Specific complaints on code violations are looked into by an inter-ministerial committee (IMC).
Additionally, it is also the responsibility of the channel to ensure its programmes are not violative of the programme code, laid down in Rule 6 of the Cable TV Network Rules.
Sub-section ‘c’ of Rule 6 specifically mentions that programmes that contain attacks on religions or communities or visuals or words contemptuous of religious groups or which promote communal attitudes should not be carried in the cable service.
Also Read: The Hindi news channel editor who ‘thrives on provoking’ Hindu, Muslim sentiments
Wait and see the program first, and if found any wrong contents against actual fact ,then the so called peace loving secularist intellectuals and appeasement politicians / effected communities can got to the court and prove there the truth with fact figures and accordingly befitting punishment can be given to the
culprits those aired the program.
It is a golden opportunity and also this is the beauty of our democracy.
BUT… WHICH court the so called secularist intellectuals or indeed the peaceful Indians need to go for hate politics in mosques, the hate ideology behind it and the evil brainwashing of Musbins going on since 1400 years??!!
Dislike ka option bhi rakho bsdk
In India only Chinese, Vatican & Pakistani stooges can put on content which is against the majority, it’s splendid native civilization & nation!!
Exposing anti majority & anti national activity is a CRIME for these Congress led stooges!! Freedom of speech is only for Congress, not for others exposing their evil anti India activities!!
@The Print also doesn’t mention that the high court acted blind & deaf and indirectly violated the supreme court orders of allowing this program!!
Modi didn’t invent communalism. A large segment of Hindus already had a communal mindset for a long time. But they were sheepish, almost apologetic about it. Modi has made communalism respectable and thus socially acceptable.
Islam is a supremacist ideology which only respects power!! They work 24/7 to establish supremacy and work against non Muslims 24/7 in Europe, India or America!! Global Jihad is a FACT of Islam!!
Islam is born highly communal and uses animal aggressive spirits & strategies!! The burning of cities in Sweden, Norway or Delhi/Bangalore prove these facts!!
Totally disagree
You have a dirty mind set
First world war second word war nuclear bomb on Hiroshima Nagasaki Iraq war Afghanistan war ,none of them were muslims.Jinnah is not responsible for partition your HINDU leaders like NEHRU Patel are responsible.gujrat riots muzaffernagar delhi all organized by dirty facist HINDUS.article 370 on Kashmir was agreement between raja hari sing and indian government both were hindus.India was known as sone ki Chidiya during mogul rule.now dirty FACIST hindus destroyed our economy .GDP has gone down to -27% .shame on you
Ha!! Ha!! You are a LIAR as almost all Musbins!! Islam has killed over a billion Christians & Hindus!! You talk of muzaffernagar/Delhi??!! Did Hindus organism Sweden & Norway riots you liar of fascist and evil Islam??!! India was known as sone ki Chidiya well before those mogul jihadi pigs attacked India!! Learn history from credible sources instead of mosques which are being converted into toilets by no other than Muslim Pakistanis & China!! Islam has not given a pin to Hindus or humanity!!
Shia Jinnah made Pakistan for Islam and Muslims did not go to Pakistan to respect Islam or spread Islamic virus?? The same Pakistanis are killing Shia’s!! ROTTEN EVIL IDEOLOGY OF ISLAM MUST DIE!!
Kudos to the Modi government for standing with the freedom of speech. While in Maharashtra the Congress government is busy threatening Kangana Ranaut for speaking out. You would recall that such pre-censorship was common in JNU and many of the universities of the Christian west. Any programme which did not find approval with the powers that be was halted. In case the programme was held it was disrupted.
Absolutely correct!!! There can be no democracy without total freedom of speech & thought!!
The fascist thinking of Congress and leftists/communists or illiberal communal anti India Islam must be exposed!!
I think the media is getting sensitive over wrong discourse. For eg. ” THE CHAPPAI ” found distribution of sweets main cause of riots in BANGALORE. And rioters innocent victims.
No doubt this same journalists are raising hue and cry over unseen material.
“The CHAPPAI ” was also very excited discussing how govt officials from certain secular community holds religious book in one hand and computer in another and still manages to be secular.
The Musbins can burn cities and it’s neither inhuman, nor communal!! However, an innocent program exposing truth becomes communal for these leftist & Islamic fascists!!