The Information and Broadcasting Ministry on Saturday issued a show cause notice to private radio channel Red FM for an alleged derogatory remark made by a radio jockey on Indian Idol winner Prashant Tamang that had sparked violence in northern West Bengal.
The ministry asked the channel to submit a reply before Monday evening explaining its stand.
"From the sequence of events it is prima facie evident that the remarks are in violation of the programme code of All India Radio and hence the permission holder has been given time till 4 pm on October 1, 2007, to explain why action should not be taken against them," the ministry said.
It said the channel was supposed to follow the code that prohibits any content attacking communities, anything defamatory, incitement to violence and anything against law and order.
The ministry said the West Bengal government had brought to its notice that Red FM, being aired on 93.5 MHz, has carried a programme on September 24 in which a radio jockey made derogatory remarks about the "Gorkha community" after the selection of Prashant Tamang as "Indian Idol" in Sony TV's musical contest.
"The Gorkha community has reacted strongly to the remarks by the radio jockey protesting the stereotyping as racist and insulting. General strikes have been called in several places like Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Sukna in protest, and to maintain law and order the army and paramilitary forces were required to be deployed.
{{/usCountry}}"The Gorkha community has reacted strongly to the remarks by the radio jockey protesting the stereotyping as racist and insulting. General strikes have been called in several places like Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Sukna in protest, and to maintain law and order the army and paramilitary forces were required to be deployed.
{{/usCountry}}"In Siliguri, it has led to violent clashes between communities leading to loot, arson and injuries to many persons. Police had to open fire and curfew has been imposed to bring the situation to normalcy."
On Saturday, the situation in Darjeeling district and Siliguri in West Bengal limped back to normalcy after the violence.