Mumbai: Those politicising the issue of one-day ban order on NDTV India are playing with national security, the Shiv Sena today said even as it welcomed the I&B ministry’s decision to put on hold the order against the Hindi channel.
“We welcome the decision taken to put on hold the ban order on NDTV India. The only concern is that those politicising this issue are playing with national security,” it said in an editorial in party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.
“Some decisions are related to national security and thus should not be politicised. If they are, it cannot be supported. Bad behaviour cannot be excused for freedom,” the party said.
While some want the freedom to speak what they want, spit anywhere on the road, others want freedom to earn by corrupt practices and some want the freedom to shout pro-Pakistan slogans, it said.
“Such freedom will destabilise the nation,” it said.
The Sena said that news channels nowadays do not seem to understand the level to which they come down to while competing to break news.
Taking a dig at the Congress, the editorial said that its leaders should not talk about freedom as during the Emergency period it “murdered” all kinds of freedom.
“Censorship was imposed in the name of national security and many editors were put behind bars. Many newspapers had to shut operation,” it said.
Amid a major outcry, the Information and Broadcasting ministry had yesterday decided to “put on hold” the November 2 order to impose a one-day ban on NDTV India, after the broadcaster requested that the decision be reviewed.
According to officials sources, NDTV co-chairman Prannoy Roy yesterday met I&B Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and discussed the issue related to the order.
The minister said the NDTV leadership presented an appeal to him, to which he said he will have a look and then decided that the government directive will be on hold till the process is completed.
PTI
