By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the telecast ban on Malayalam channel MediaOne imposed by the Union government citing security reasons. The apex court passed the interim order after perusing the files relied on by the government to revoke the security clearance of the channel.MediaOne Editor Pramod Raman said they will renew telecasting immediately.
A three-judge bench of the apex court passed the order on a special leave petition filed by Madhyamam Broadcasting Limited, which runs the channel, challenging the Kerala High Court’s order upholding the decision of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting not to grant security clearance to MediaOne “on the basis of intelligence inputs which are sensitive and secretive in nature”.
The bench, comprising Justice Chandrachud, Justice Surya Kant and Justice Vikram Nath, took a short break to peruse the contents of the files cited by the government, and observed “we are of the view that the case of grant of interim relief has been made out.”
“We order and direct that Union government order revoking security clearance of Madhyaman Broadcasting Limited stands stayed pending further orders. The petitioners shall be permitted to continue operating the news and current affairs channel MediaOne on the same basis as the channel was being operated prior to the revocation of clearance.”The court asked the Union government to file its counter affidavit by March 26.
The question relating to disclosing the contents of the files that led to revocation will be kept open, the bench said.A division bench of the Kerala High Court had earlier dismissed an appeal filed by MediaOne channel against a single judge order upholding the I&B Ministry’s action of revoking license of the channel and removing its name from the list of permitted broadcasters. “There are certain aspects affecting the public order or the security of the State on the basis of the report of the Intelligence Bureau and other investigating agencies,” the HC bench had observed.
The Union government had suspended the channel’s airing on 31 January.Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan welcomed the verdict. Our nation considers freedom of expression as paramount. This verdict of the Supreme Court upholds that,” he said speaking at a public function in Thiruvananthapuram.Pramod Raman tweeted, “Supreme Court stays the telecast ban. We will renew telecasting soon. Justice.”
