Asianet News and Mediaone, suspended over Delhi riots coverage, back on air

Asianet and MediaOne channels which were banned for 48 hours yesterday by I&B ministry for allegedly communally insensitive coverage of Delhi violence, are back on air.

The ban on Asianet News was lifted at 1.30 am, while the ban on Media One was lifted at 9.30 am on Saturday, a source at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting told PTI.

Sources said the two channels had written to the ministry seeking revocation of the bans, following which it was lifted.

The channels were suspended for 48 hours over their coverage of last month's communal violence in Delhi, with the official orders saying they covered events on February 25 in a manner that "highlighted the attack on places of worship and siding towards a particular community".

"Channel's reporting on Delhi violence seems to be biased as it is deliberately focusing on the vandalism of CAA supporters," the ministry order on Media One had said. "It also questions RSS and alleges Delhi Police inaction. Channel seems to be critical towards Delhi Police and RSS." The ministry ordered prohibition of transmission or re-transmission of Media One and Asianet News for 48 hours on any platform throughout India with effect from 7.30 pm on Friday to 7.30 pm on Sunday.

The Congress and the CPI had come down hard on the government over the suspension of Media One and Asianet News, calling the clampdown as "stifling of media freedom".

with PTI inputs