NEW DELHI: In a role reversal case, the Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared to pressure the Center to exercise its powers under the TV Network Regulation Act TV channels have effective supervision of the contents of television programs, even though the Center argued that it respected the media’s right to freedom of expression and was reluctant to act as a regulator.
A CJI SA Bobde bank and judges AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian expressed their displeasure at the response of the Center to Jamiat Ulama-i-HindThe petition alleging that the government did little to prevent the media from targeting Muslims during the Covid-19 pandemic by making hateful reports about the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Nizamuddin. In its sworn declaration, the Center had said that, in general, most newspapers and web portals reported responsibly about the event. He said that during the initial period of the pandemic, when some members of Tablighi Jamaat tested positive for Covid, it received attention from the media and the public. It also detailed the number of accounts and URLs that were blocked to stop the circulation of fake news targeting the minority community.
As the audience progressed, its scope broadened to include whether the government should use the powers it enjoys to regulate the content of television channels.
The CJI told Attorney General Tushar Mehta, “We are not satisfied with the Center’s affidavit. We had asked what measures the government had taken under the Cable Television Networks (Regulatory) Law against false news circulating on television channels. What is the grievance redress mechanism under the law? On both points, your affidavit is kept silent despite our request. ”
When Mehta promised to submit a new affidavit, the bank said: “What the television channels show is of great importance to the country. How do you plan to control which channels are shown through the law? “Mehta said:” We (the government) do not want to control the content of television channels. We respect the right to freedom of expression and expression of the media. ”
The bank said: “We want to know what mechanism exists under the law to regulate the content transmitted by television channels. If you have a mechanism, then that should address the complaints raised by this petition. If you don’t have a mechanism, create one. Otherwise, we will assign responsibility to the private entity ”. The CS kept the matter awaiting hearing after three weeks.
On video: the Center advocates for media freedom of expression even as SC lobbied for regulation
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