The Attorney General told the court that a new affidavit will be filed.
New Delhi:
The government is silent on actions taken against TV channels in a case linked to media reporting on the Tablighi Jamaat gathering at a Delhi mosque in violation of virus restrictions, the Supreme Court said today, stressing the need for a “regulatory mechanism”.
“The government is silent about the action that has been taken and the power it has to regulate television channels. If there is no regulatory mechanism, create one or else we will hand it over to an outside agency. Regulation cannot be left to the NBSA (News Broadcasters Standards Authority), “Chief Justice SA Bobde said today, adding that the superior court is dissatisfied with the center’s affidavit that was shared in the superior court, the second in recent weeks.
Today’s hearing took place nearly a month after the high court reprimanded the government for causing a junior officer to present what it called an “extremely offensive and brazen” response.
“First, you did not submit a proper affidavit and then you did submit an affidavit that did not address the two important issues. It cannot be done this way Mr. Mehta … we are not satisfied with your answer. We ask you to tell us about what measures have been taken. But not a whisper in his affidavit, “the bank headed by the Chief Justice, SA Bobde, told Attorney General Tushar Mehta, and stressed that the government did not deal with the Television Networks Act by cable in his answer, as he stressed that “the applicability of the Law in the control of the media has a great consequence in this country.”
“Tell us what is the current legal regime you have … you have not said anything,” said the higher court. The Attorney General told the court that a new affidavit will be filed.
The center has defended the media in this case and has said in its response to the Supreme Court that “there was no case of misinformation.”
Last month, the Supreme Court stopped the center on its affidavit, saying it “must report cases of misinformation to us” and what steps had been taken. “Freedom of expression is one of the most abused freedoms in recent times,” Chief Justice SA Bobde said during the hearing last month.
The high court has been hearing requests for action against the media for “spreading hatred” over the Tablighi meeting in Markaz Nizamuddin earlier this year.
The March meeting generated much controversy as it became a coronavirus super-spreader with many cases across the country linked to those who had attended the meeting.
The government has told the court that it has blocked more than 740 links on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, which linked the spread of the coronavirus to religion.
Last month, the Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting asked the government to submit another affidavit on the petition seeking action against some television channels.
“You cannot treat this court the way it is treating you. A junior officer has filed the affidavit. His affidavit is evasive and says that the petitioner does not show any cases of malpractice. You may not agree, but how can you report shown, “had questioned the Chief Justice.
The higher court will revert to the case after three weeks.
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