NaMo TV Channel’s first hurdle from Election Commission
INDIA POLLS NEW DELHI: NaMo TV channel, a broadcast channel linked to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing its first hurdle as the ruling party, Bharathiya Janata Party’s media organ.
India’s Election Commission barred it from airing political content without an approval from the media certification and monitoring committee.
“lt has been brought to the notice of the Commission that NaMo TV/Content TV is a platform service offered by DTH operators offered to the BJP on a paid basis,” the EC said in a letter.
“Accordingly, all political advertisements and all recorded programmes with political contents are mandatorily required to be pre-certified by the MCMC before telecasting/displaying”.
EC also said any political content has to be permitted by the local media certification committee “strictly in accordance with the EC’s instructions in this regard”.
“Any political publicity materials/contents, being displayed on electronic media without the requisite certification from competent authority (MCMC in this case) should be removed immediately and any political content shall only be permitted strictly in accordance with the EC instructions in this regard,” the EC said.
The barring comes after it was confirmed that NaMo Channel pre-certification from the authorities.
EC probed into the matter after opposition party, Indian National Congress filed a complaint with the polls body that the channel was creating an uneven level playing field in the run-up for the Lok Sabha polls.
The Indian polls began yesterday and will be conducted in stages until May 19. The results will be announced May 23.
