Buzz in U’khand over ‘blackout’ of channel that did Rawat sting

DEHRADUN: An Uttarakhand news channel that stung chief minister Harish Rawat in a secret video went off air on Tuesday night, hours after Raw at appeared before

DEHRADUN: An Uttarakhand news channel that stung chief minister Harish Rawat in a secret video went off air on Tuesday night, hours after Raw at appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation( C BI) in New Delhi. T he sudden disappearance of the channel on the local cable network created ripples on social media.

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U mesh Kumar, editor of the channel, on Wednesday declared a “state of emergency in Uttarakhand” on Facebook. Soon, Facebook users were debating whether the blackout was an ‘act of vendetta’ for conducting a sting on Rawat.

But the ruling Congress denied the government’s involvement in the blackout.

Meanwhile, Harak Singh R awat, the rebel Congress leader who has now joined the B haratiya Jan at a Party (BJP), burn tan effigy of the chief minister and accused him of muzzling the independent voice.

Surendra Kumar, spokesperson for CM, said frustrated B JP leaders were targeting the government for ‘no reason’. “The government has not banned any channel. We honour the independence of media but it has to be ensured that media forum is not misused,” he said. However, the channel came back in some cable networks by noon.

U mesh claimed the channel is still off air in Congress strongholds. He said, “Iwill not bow to the pressure tactics of the government.”