The Delhi High Court has sought response of the Centre on a Tamil news channel's plea seeking quashing of an Information and Broadcasting Ministry order "warning" it for having broadcast content critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Justice V P Vaish asked the Ministry to reply to the plea within four weeks and fixed the matter for further hearing on January 15, 2016 on the plea moved by Sathiyam TV, which was previously issued a show cause notice.
According to the show cause notice issued by the Ministry, the Prime Minister was referred to as a "dreadful man" by the channel.
The Ministry had passed an order holding the news channel in violation of certain provisions of Programme Code prescribed under the Cable Television Network (Cable) Act, 1995, the Cable Television Networks (Regulations) Rules.
The 'warning' was issued to the channel for broadcasting a Biblical prayer and discussion show titled "Ungal Aseervatha Neram - Your Blessing Time" in December 2014 which allegedly contained statements from a religious preacher tarnishing the image of the Prime Minister.
Terming the 'warning' as an "act of political censorship", the Tamil news and current affairs channel contended that no such statement against the Prime Minster as alleged have been made and said the order of the Ministry was contrary to the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression under the Constitution.
