NEW DELHI, Feb 01: Hours after Modi government banned Malayalam news channel MediaOne TV in Kerala Indian southern state, a single-judge bench of the Kerala High Court on Monday stayed the order of the Information & Broadcasting Ministry for two days. MediaOne is owned by Madhyamam Broadcasting Ltd, many of whose investors are members of the Kerala Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.
Acting on a petition moved by MediaOne TV, Justice N Nagaresh stayed the implementation of the government’s order until its next hearing on Wednesday and asked Additional Solicitor General S Manu to get instructions from the Indian ministry on the matter, Indian Express reports.
The court also issued notice to Planetcast Media Services Limited, which provides broadcasting services to the channel.
Following the relief from the High Court, MediaOne TV announced that the channel would soon resume transmission, which was suspended around noon.
After the transmission of the channel was blocked, MediaOne TV Editor Pramod Raman said “The I&B Ministry has said the ban was due to so-called security reasons, but the channel is yet to get details on it. The Modis Government has not made the details about the ban available to MediaOne TV. We have started legal action against the ban. After completing the process, the channel will be back. We are suspending the broadcasting temporarily with the hope that justice will prevail.’’
This is the second time in recent years that MediaOneTV has been barred from transmission. In March 2020, the Indian BJP governmnt had imposed a 48-hour ban on the channel, along with another Malayalam news channel, Asianet, on so-called charges of violating provisions of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1998 while reporting on the violence and anti Muslim riots in northeast Delhi.
“The channel’s reporting on Delhi anti-muslim violence seems to be biased as it is deliberately focusing on the vandalism of CAA supporters,” the ministry order on MediaOne had said, adding, “it also questions RSS and Delhi Police inaction. Channel seems to be critical towards Delhi Police and Hindutva RSS.” agencies