Centre suspends Malayalam news channel MediaOne; Kerala HC stays the order

New Delhi: Malayalam news channel MediaOne TV has gone off air again after the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) suspended the telecast of the channel, citing “security concerns”.

This is the second time that the Centre has suspended the telecasting of Kerala’s leading news channel.

The government had in 2020 briefly suspended the channel over its “biased” coverage of the Delhi riots linked to the Citizenship Amendment Act, stating that its report sided “towards a particular community” among other violations of the Cable TV Act.

MediaOne is run by Jamaat-e-Islami.

“MediaOne channel telecast has once again been disallowed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, citing security reasons. The Government has not been forthcoming with the details,” channel’s editor Pramod Raman said in a press release.

He further said that they are exploring legal options for the restoration of the channel, adding they are confident that the “justice will prevail”

“MediaOne is taking urgent legal steps for the restoration of the channel, and hope to get back to the viewers as soon as we can. For the time being, we are suspending our telecast, confident that justice will prevail,” the release read.

The Kerala High Court stayed the operation of the order of the ministry revoking the license of the channel and removing its name from the list of permitted channels.

Indian Union Muslim League MP ET Muhammed Basheer criticised the decision and said that it is an attempt to silence the “political dissent through outright fascism”.

“Centre’s ban on MediaOne TV is highly reprehensible. This is the second time that the Central Government has imposed a ban on MediaOne TV. Yet another attempt to silence the political dissent through outright fascism. All people of India should unite against this tyranny,” he tweeted.

IUML MLA MK Muneer also opposed the government’s move. “I&B ministry’s decision to revoke the license of Media One is arbitrary and highly condemnable. This is silencing of critical voices. GoI must remove the ban ASAP!” his tweet read. Times Now News