A day after the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed in Rajya Sabha, now the Modi government has asked all TV channels not to broadcast 'anti-national' content. The Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry issued advisories to all TV channels asking them to broadcast content strictly in adherence to the Programme and Advertising Codes as prescribed in the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995.
The advisories were issued on December 11. It is hereby reiterated that all TV channels are advised to be particularly cautious with regard to any content which is likely to encourage or incite violence or contains anything against maintenance of law and order, or which promotes anti-national attitudes, or contains anything affecting the integrity of the nation and ensure that no such content is telecast which is violative of these codes, the advisory said.
The advisory came in the wake of protests in the North-East, particularly in Assam, over the Citizenship Amendment Bill which has been cleared by both the Houses of Parliament.
Several incidents of violence have been reported from the northeastern state following the passage of the bill by Parliament on Wednesday night. The law seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan facing persecution there.
Guwahati, the epicentre of anti-CAB protests, was placed under indefinite curfew on Wednesday night while the Army was called in at four places and Assam Rifles personnel were deployed in Tripura as the two northeastern states plunged into chaos over the hugely emotive Citizenship (Amendment) Bill or CAB.
As many as 125 members of the Rajya Sabha voted in favour of the Bill while 105 MPs voted against the Bill, which was passed by Lok Sabha earlier this week.