New Delhi: The People’s Union for Civil Liberties on Thursday, June 15, wrote a letter to the Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand, the Director General of Police, and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, to prohibit Sudarshan TV from broadcasting a ‘Mahapanchayat’ in defiance of a high court order that refrained parties to engage in social media debates on the matter.
The civil rights body has urged the concerned authorities to bring the high court’s order to the notice of all media houses by issuing a press release. This would help in ensuring peace and harmony in the region, it added.
“The order passed by the Hon’ble high court should not be allowed to be breached or subverted by allowing virtual participation in media interviews or panel,” read the letter issued by PUCL.
Sudarshan TV’s editor Suresh Chavhanke tweeted on Thursday at 5:11 pm: “Banned Mahapanchayat of Purola, Uttarkashi will be Live on Sudarshan News Studio. The government did not give a place for the ground, but we will give a TV platform, that too with detained leaders. Live tonight at 8 pm in Bindaas Bol.”
It’s not clear whether the show was aired at 8 pm or not, however, Chavhanke tweeted again at 8:15 pm.
“If the government did not give place to the banned mahapanchayat of Uttarkashi, then the panchayat is being held in Sudarshan Studio #BindasBol,” he tweeted.
Under Section 19 of the Cable Television Network Act, 1994, authorised officers can prohibit transmission of certain programmes in public interest. Under Section 20 of the Act, the Union government can prohibit the operation of any cable television network in such areas in the interest of public order.
Therefore, the rights body, in its letter, asked the authorised officer to confiscate and seize equipment used for such broadcast under Section 11 and 12 of the Act.
Also read: In Photos: Police Enforce Denial of Permission to Controversial Mahapanchayat in Uttarakhand
“We urge the authorities to exercise these powers with utmost urgency, failing which the programme will be aired and the harm caused to the society cannot be undone. Given that the tonality and content of the programme is assured by the editor to be of that as the Mahapanchayat – grossly hateful, targeted at Muslims. It is likely to instill fear, panic and cause the same threat to life as the physical Mahapanchayat in complete violation of the Program and Advertisement Code,” it said.
The Uttarakhand high court on Thursday heard a petition against the mahapanchayat, with the petitioner arguing that a case must be registered against the organisers for asking the district magistrate to evict a “particular community”.
It asked the government to maintain law and order and ensure that there is no loss of life or property.
It also said that the petitioners, its associates, and other persons are not permitted to engage with social media and shall not give interviews.
The right body further said that failing to take such measures will threaten the right to life of the minority community.