Clamp down on Pakistani channels, Venkaiah Naidu tells J-K govt

Channels from the neighbouring country are beamed by private cable operators with the alleged intent of spreading anti-India propaganda among Kashmir residents.

Union information and broadcasting minister M Venkaiah Naidu has asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to ensure that Pakistani channels are not aired in the Valley.

The Jammu and Kashmir government has been asked to take action against those airing Pakistani channels in the Valley. (Pic for representational purposes only)

The minister spoke to the state chief secretary in this regard on Friday.

According to a senior official, channels from the neighbouring country are beamed by private cable operators with the intent of spreading anti-India propaganda among Kashmir residents. “The J&K government has been asked to file an action-taken report at the earliest, and take action against those airing these channels,” he said.

The government had recently restricted Internet usage in the Valley, and clamped down on as many as 22 social networking sites. This was done to prevent the misuse of virtual platforms by “anti-national and inimical elements” to fuel unrest through “inflammatory content”.

“Any message or class of messages to or from any persons or class of persons relating to any subject or any pictorial content through the following social networking sites shall not be transmitted in the Kashmir valley with immediate effect for a period of one month or till further orders, whichever is earlier,” the order from the government stated.

The Valley has been on the boil ever since Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani was killed by security personnel in July last year.