The Information and Broadcasting ministry may hold more consultations before it takes a call on what further action it may take in the matter related to 33 channels of Kalanithi Maran promoted Sun TV network which had been denied security clearance by the Home Ministry.
With I&B minister Arun Jaitley returning from his visit abroad, there were expectations that a decision on the issue could be taken but sources said that more consultations including with the Home Ministry, may be held on the matter.
Earlier, Home Ministry had denied security clearance to the TV network, which is believed to have been influenced by pending corruption cases against Maran and his brother, former Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran.
A security clearance is needed by Companies who want to run TV channels. With Home ministry denying security clearance to the Sun TV network channels, the I&B ministry had then approached the Law Ministry to seeking opinion on the issue.
In his opinion, the Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi had said that security clearance can be granted as agencies are probing cases related to corruption and not security. Hence, he said, corruption cases cannot be the ground to deny security clearance.
Following the AG's opinion, the I&B ministry is mulling what further course it should take.
