New Delhi, September 23: The hugely controversial programme of private channel Sudarshan News TV — which showed episodes on “Muslims infiltrating” government services — prima facie violated programme code and a showcause notice has been issued to them, the Centre told the Supreme Court Wednesday.
The channel has to respond on the issue — which comes amid sharp scrutiny of media following the no-holds-barred coverage of the Sushant Singh Rajput case by some channels — by September 28. “The notice is a detailed one, giving facts which are against the program code,” the Centre told the top court, NDTV reported.
The controversial programme was aired with government approval just a fortnight ago.
Sources told NDTV that the government can’t pre-censor shows. The channel had also assured the government that they would not violate rules. It takes time to watch and transcribe television shows, the sources added on being asked about the government notice to the show, which was sent Wednesday.
The Information and Broadcasting ministry’s guidelines of Cable Television Network Rules, 1994 says no programme should be carried which “contains attack on religions or communities or visuals or words contemptuous of religious groups or which promote communal attitudes”.
The content of the particular programme of Sudarshan TV had infuriated the Supreme Court, which in a hearing last week had called the show an attempt to vilify Muslims.
“You cannot target one community and brand them in a particular manner,” the top court said, put a temporary stop to the show “Bindas Bol”, which has seven of its nine episodes left to air.