A day after the I-B ministry decided to put on hold the one-day ban on Hindi news channel NDTV India, the Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred a hearing on the case to December 5.
Challenging the gag order, the media group had moved the Supreme Court on Monday. But after it eked out the concession from the government, the apex court on Tuesday said there was no urgency for the hearing.
NDTV India was asked to go off the air on November 9 after the government said the channel revealed sensitive details during its coverage of a militant attack on the Pathankot airbase in January.
This crucial information could have been readily picked up by the militants’ handlers and jeopardised national security, the information and broadcasting ministry said.
This was the first time a channel was asked to stop broadcasting over concerns about national security.
Top media bodies on Monday expressed solidarity with NDTV and condemned the Centre’s move, saying it sends a “dangerous signal” to the entire press, the freedom of which is already under “increasing threat” in the country.
But the government has defended the action, saying many other channels were banned in the past and that free speech couldn’t be absolute or override national security.
{{/usCountry}}But the government has defended the action, saying many other channels were banned in the past and that free speech couldn’t be absolute or override national security.
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