Govt cautions private TV channels on Delhi riots, Ukraine-Russia conflict coverage

NEW DELHI: In a strong advisory to private television channels, the government on Saturday said certain debates on the coverage of the Ukraine-Russia conflict and the Delhi riots had provocative and socially unacceptable language, and it took exception to headlines such as ‘Parmanu (nuclear) Putin’ and ‘Ali, Bali aur Khalbali (unrest)’.

While the government found television news channels making “false claims” and “frequently misquoting” international agencies while reporting on the Ukraine conflict, it took objection to the reportage on “incidents” in northwest Delhi, contending that channels had given communal colour to the actions of authority. It also said that certain debates on TV channels on the Delhi violence had unparliamentary, provocative and socially unacceptable language.

“The government expresses serious concern about the manner in which the TV channels have gone about their operations in the matter of transmitting content…,” read the advisory issued by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to self-regulating bodies of television channels. It also “strongly advised” them to immediately refrain from publishing and transmitting any content which is violative of the aforementioned provisions of The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995.