Notice to Telegu TV channel for showing visuals of violence

HYDERABAD - Amid the mounting criticism on curbs imposed on media covering the agitation for a Telangana state, Hyderabad Police Saturday issued notice to a Telugu television channel for telecasting visuals of violence in Osmania University.

The news channel was issued notice for violation of the National Broadcasters Association (NBA) guidelines and the Cable Network Regulation Act.

Police Commissioner A.K. Khan told reporters that police were monitoring all other channels and action would be taken if they violate the guidelines. He said some channels were telecasting misleading stories.

According to sources, the notice has been issued to Raj News, the channel operated by the family of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao. The channel had Friday showed visuals of policemen beating up two youths.

The channel was taken off the air for some time twice on Thursday and Friday after it showed visuals of students’ protest and violence in the campus.

Khan claimed that the police had not imposed any new restrictions on media. “There are already guidelines issued by NBA, the Cable Operators Act and rulings of high court which bars channels from telecasting violent incidents or visuals which may instigate violence,” he said.

The police chief said action was being taken only for the violation of existing laws and guidelines. “Like police, media too should act with a sense of responsibility,” he said.

The police action against the channel came amid protests by journalists, lawyers and political parties in Telangana over the curbs on media. Ministers, MPs and legislators of the ruling Congress party have urged Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy to immediately lift the restrictions on media covering the protests in Osmania University.

On the violence in the university campus for last two days, Khan said police had booked 18 cases and arrested 12 people. Those taken into custody include both students and outsiders.

He clarified that police were stopping students from coming out of the campus as this could create law and order problems. Police were using only pellets and not bullets to control the crowd, he said.

The police commissioner said some people who were circulating rumours through SMSs were identified and stern action would be taken against them. Police were considering a ban on bulk SMSes, he added.

The university, the nerve centre of ongoing Telangana agitation, has been witnessing violence since Thursday when students began protests against the Srikrishna committee’s report.