NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has ordered the Raman Singh government to remove impediments from broadcasting of ETV in Chhattisgarh and hoped that the TV channel would maintain the sanctity of freedom of speech and expression, which was intrinsic to media operations.
ETV, through senior advocate A M Singhvi, told a bench of Justices Dalveer Bhandari and Dipak Misra that after it had broadcast a news item about alleged favouritism in allocation of mining leases to relatives of the chief minister, the Raman Singh government had acted vindictively to black out the channel in the state.
The bench issued notice to the state and said, "Chhattisgarh government is directed to permit the broadcast of ETV in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and we hope and trust that the petitioner would maintain sanctity of freedom of speech and expression."
This means, though the SC ordered restoration of broadcast, it put the onus on the TV channel to operate within the parameters of Article 19 of the Constitution which guarantees right to freedom of speech and expression but puts certain conditions in the exercise of this right.
The Raman Singh government will now have to lift impediments in the broadcast of ETV in Chhattisgarh, but it will be interesting to see how it enforces the order in another state, that is Madhya Pradesh.
Though the apex court acted on the writ petition of ETV for restoration of broadcast in Chhattisgarh, it refused to entertain its request for initiation of action against the chief minister and other officials responsible for the stopping broadcast of the channel in the state. In fact, it asked the petitioners to delete the concerned prayer.
On the issue of restoration of broadcasting, the SC issued notice to respondents, including the chief minister, and asked them to file their responses by January 5, 2012.
साभार : टाइम्स आफ इंडिया
