Is Congress issuing a subtle threat to news channels in the garb of advisory?

Is the I&B Ministry advisory issued to news channels coming from the emergency mindset of Congress that threatens to muzzle any voice of dissent?

Former A-G Soli Sorabjee said that though it was denigrating to air the speech of Modi just after the PM’s speech, the I&B ministry can’t issue such a subtly worded threat.

Speaking to CNN-IBN, Sorabjee said, “The speech of Narendra Modi on Independence Day was not in good taste. But the advisory is grossly objectionable and layered with a penal action. Which head of Article 19(2) does it come under?”

The former A-G argued that the final decision to take a call on airing speeches should lie with the channels as these are subjective decisions. “This advisory is a clear invocation of penal provisions. A subtle, sophisticated attempt to control the freedom of press.”

Senior journalist Kumar Ketkar said that though BJP was acting holier than thou right now, their record of muzzling the press is equally bad. “Narendra Modi’s office did not give news about the land of Vallabhbhai Patel’s statue to journalists. BJP did not wax eloquent about the freedom of the press when the protest against the land acquisition for the statue was happening,” Ketkar said.