oppn parties Supreme Court Sets Aside Broadcast ban On MediaOne

Story Of The Day

Assessee Not Responsible For Ensuring TDS Is Paid To The Government: Delhi HC
OPINIONS : Strongly Expressed

December 21, 2024

People Are Talking About

Rohit Warns Sarfaraz, Police Use It To Warn Two-Wheeler Riders

News Snippets

  • The Indian envoy in Bangladesh was summoned by the country's government over the breach in the Bangladesh mission in Agartala
  • Bank account to soon have 4 nominees each
  • TMC and SP stayed away from the INDIA bloc protest over the Adani issue in the Lok Sabha
  • Delhi HC stops the police from arresting Nadeem Khan over a viral video which the police claimed promoted 'enmity'. Court says 'India's harmony not so fragile'
  • Trafiksol asked to refund IPO money by Sebi on account of alleged fraud
  • Re goes down to 84.76 against the USD but ends flat after RBI intervenes
  • Sin goods like tobacco, cigarettes and soft drinks likely to face 35% GST in the post-compensation cess era
  • Bank credit growth slows to 11% (20.6% last year) with retail oans also showing a slowdown
  • Stock markets continue their winning streak on Tuesday: Sensex jumps 597 points to 80845 and Nifty gains 181 points to 24457
  • Asian junior hockey: Defending champions India enter the finals by beating Malaysia 3-1, to play Pakistan for the title
  • Chess World title match: Ding Liren salvages a sraw in the 7th game which he almost lost
  • Experts speculate whether Ding Liren wants the world title match against D Gukesh to go into tie-break after he let off Gukesh easily in the 5th game
  • Tata Memorial Hospital and AIIMS have severely criticized former cricketer and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu for claiming that his wife fought back cancer with home remedies like haldi, garlic and neem. The hospitals warned the public for not going for such unproven remedies and not delaying treatment as it could prove fatal
  • 3 persons died and scores of policemen wer injured when a survey of a mosque in Sambhal near Bareilly in UP turned violent
  • Bangladesh to review power pacts with Indian companies, including those of the Adani group
D Gukesh is the new chess world champion at 18, the first teen to wear the crown. Capitalizes on an error by Ding Liren to snatch the crown by winning the final game g
oppn parties
Supreme Court Sets Aside Broadcast ban On MediaOne

By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2023-04-05 16:36:51

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.

Criticizing the Union Home ministry for raising concerns about national security in the case of news channel MediaOne "in a cavalier manner", the Supreme Court today set aside the Kerala High Court judgment that had upheld the Home ministry's broadcast ban on the channel. The Supreme Court said that criticism of government's policies and actions cannot be taken to mean anti-national activity. It further said that an independent press is essential for a vibrant democracy. It also took the Centre to task for providing its submission in a sealed cover and said this practice must go. It said that the Centre had failed to provide any material facts or evidence to justify the broadcast ban it imposed on MediaOne.

The court said that "there is nothing to show terrorist links. National security claims cannot be made on the basis of thin air. It is seen that none of the material is against national security or threatens public order." It further said that the government cannot take the stand that the press must always support the government and criticism of the government cannot be a ground to revoke the broadcasting licence of a news channel.

In recent cases, the Supreme Court has expressed strong displeasure at the Centre for providing its submission in some cases in 'sealed covers'. In the instant case, the court said that "sealed cover proceedings cannot be adopted to avoid the harm caused by public immunity proceedings. We are of the opinion that public immunity proceedings are a less restrictive means to safeguard the public interest." It added that "there cannot be a blanket immunity to the government for disclosure of information to the other parties in a proceeding before the court" because "all investigation reports cannot be termed secret as these affect the rights and liberty of the citizens."

Politicians of all hue, without exception, have dictatorial tendencies and cannot tolerate dissent. There were proposed draconian bills or ordinances in Kerala (ruled by the CPI(M)), Bihar (ruled by JD(U) in alliance with different parties at different times) and some other states that sought to kill free speech. At the Centre, the NDA government has always displayed a very thin skin when it comes to dissent of any kind. Draconian Acts and Sections are used to muzzle free speech. Even the media is not spared and journalists are especially targeted. But, as the Supreme Court has said, the government must learn to take the bad with the good and allow all kinds of opinions to be expressed if it seriously believes that India is a democracy. 

Other Stories You Make Like

Editorials

Turmoil In Mollywood

Turmoil In Mollywood

NDA 3.0: Coalition Dharma

NDA 3.0: Coalition Dharma

In Depth

Supreme Court Gets Strict On Child Pornography

Supreme Court Gets Strict On Child Pornography

Editor's Pick

Budapest Chess Olympiad: India Are World Team Champions

Budapest Chess Olympiad: India Are World Team Champions
© 2014 India Commentary. All rights reserved.