A week after Delhi saw one of the worst clashes since March 2020, the government has told TV channels to not broadcast any “provocative” content. In an advisory, the information and broadcasting ministry said that several instances of distasteful coverage were noticed in the last few days. Several people were left injured as clashes erupted during a procession taken out in the north west Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area to mark Hanuman Jayanti last Saturday.
“On the recent incident in North-West Delhi, the coverage by the TV channels had the following element: Provocative headlines and videos of violence that may incite communal, hatred among the communities and disrupt peace and law and order; disrupting the ongoing investigation process by playing scandalous and unverified CCTV footages, showing footages of particular community, thus aggravating tensions; fabricated headlines sensationalising and giving communal colours to the actions of authority,” reads the government advisory.
Debates having “unparliamentary, provocative and socially unacceptable language, communal remarks and derogatory references which may have a negative psychological impact on viewers and may also incite communal disharmony and disturb the peace at large,” have also been pointed out in the note.
The probe in the clashes has expanded with the Enforcement Directorate launching an investigation over the sources of properties of Ansar Sheikh, the main accused, officials have said. A case under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was registered a day after the Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana wrote to the central agency.
