Zakir Naik's Peace TV has no permission to downlink: I&B Ministry

It has advised all state governments to constitute state and district-level monitoring committees for broadcast content

The central government on Saturday said Islamic preacher Zakir Naik's Peace TV channel is not permitted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to downlink and warned the cable operators that action will be taken for transmitting the channel.

In view of reports that the channel's content aimed at inciting communal violence, the ministry issued a notification directing officials to take action against those transmitting the channel.

The ministry's Deputy Secretary Shankar Lal said: "Reports are being received of such content being broadcast through private satellite TV channels, such as Peace TV channel, which are not permitted by this ministry for downlinking into the country."

Naik, a speaker on Peace TV, is under the scanner following revelations that two of the five terrorists who massacred 20 hostages at a cafe in Dhaka on July 1 drew inspiration from his speeches.

"Some unauthorised private satellite television channels are being transmitted by some cable operators. This is a clear violation of the sub-rule 6(6) of the Cable TV Rules under programme code and needs to be acted upon immediately," Lal said.

"Necessary action must be taken by the authorised officers promptly against the defaulters to stop transmission of these channels," he added.

The ministry has advised all state governments to constitute state and district-level monitoring committees for broadcast content.