Journalist union says ban on MediaOne channel challenges Indian constitution

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Union of Working Journalists ((KUWJ) said that the Union government's ban on MediaOne is a challenge to Indian Constitution itself. The organisation demanded the Union Government reverse banning the broadcast channel MediaOne as soon as possible.

KUWJ wrote Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of Information and Broadcasting demanding the same and said they would unleash a series of protests against the anti-democratic move of the government, which is locking up media.

KUWJ said that MediaOne is the latest among the victims of intolerance and administration's contempt which has been going on in the country for some time. The government's move will undermine freedom of expression as well as freedom of the press guaranteed by the Constitution. Thus the action is challenging the Constitution itself. Putting pro-citizen media in shackles is, therefore, destruction to democracy. The re-imposition of the ban on the MediaOne channel has once again exposed the anti-media and anti-democratic stance of the central government.

In KUWJ's statement, the organisation said the channel was banned on the grounds of the vague reason of security issues. It asked what exactly is the security crisis that exists in the country which requires media restraint. The Union governments ban does not address what threat MediaOne posed on the nation's security.

KUWJ said that the whole civil society that believes in a democracy must unite against the undeclared state of emergency and media harassment.

Congress leader from Kerala, VT Balram, wrote on Facebook that the Union government is obliged to explain the context in which MediaOne got banned and how it threatens nations security. He extended his solidarity towards the channel. Rajya Sabha MP PV Abdul Wahab condemned the ban and wrote that it was a direct attack on Press Freedom. "Silencing critics and crushing dissent using brute force is totally fascist," he wrote.

PDP condemned that the Union government's action was fascist and demanded an immediate reversal of the ban. Sayyid Munavvar Ali Shihab Thangal and IUML MLA Najeeb Kanthapuram also raised their dissent on Facebook.