Aam Aadmi Party condemned the one-day ban on a Hindi news channel with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urging the media to go “off air” for a day in protest against the order.
Senior party leader Sanjay Singh told reporters that the order of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry against NDTV India amounted to throttling the fourth pillar of democracy and was a step towards “imposing emergency” in the country.
“I hope the whole media goes off air for a day in solidarity wid NDTV. Congratulations to Editors Guild for showing courage to stand up against Modi Govt’s dictatorship,” Kejriwal tweeted, referring to the Guild’s strongly worded letter demanding that the order be rescinded.
Singh attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought to remind him of the drubbing the Indira Gandhi-led Congress received in the 1977 general elections, held immediately after the 21 month long Emergency period.
“AAP strongly condemns this move. We believe Narendra Modi is taking the country towards another emergency,” Singh alleged in a press conference here.
Earlier, the I&B ministry had issued an order saying that NDTV India should be taken off air for a day after an inter- ministerial panel constituted by the ministry recommended this action over the broadcaster’s coverage of the Pathankot terror attack in January.
From Agencies, Feature image courtesy rediff
