[Allegation Of Communal Reporting By Republic TV] Delhi HC Directs Ministry of Information & Broadcasting To Decide Complaints Within 4 Weeks [Read Order]

The Bench of Justice Navin Chawla has directed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to consider the petitioner's complaint and take a decision on it within four weeks.

The petition, filed through Advocate Joby P. Varghese, alleges that the channel made repeated attempts to paint the event of mob lynching at Palghar, Maharashtra into a communal event, creating fear in the mind of common man.

"The entire show was aimed at promoting enmity between different religious groups by communalizing and politicizing the incident," it said.

It was further alleged that migrant gatherings at Bandra in Mumbai were given the tag of a 'gigantic conspiracy' in another programme by the same media house.

It was pointed out that the self-regulatory body— National Broadcasters Association (NBA) does not have the jurisdiction to probe Republic TV channel as it is not a member of the said organization. Hence a direction was sought against the Ministry to consider the complaint and pass appropriate orders therein.

Pandey contended that the channel had violated the rules of Programme Code prescribed under the Cable Television Regulations and also the Uplinking and Downlinking guidelines issued by the Ministry.

She has therefore sought for a direction upon the Ministry to take appropriate action against the channel and also frame rules in the nature of Cable Television Network Rules, 1994 to formulate a statutory body which shall adjudicate the complaints against television channels within a predetermined limitation period along with Appellate and other redressal mechanism.

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