Indian news channel penalized for coverage of airbase attack

Indian authorities have ordered the popular news channel NDTV India to go off the air for a day over its coverage of an attack on an Indian airbase in Punjab state.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) said in an order to owners of the channel on Thursday that it was being penalized for broadcasting "strategically-sensitive details" of the attack on the military base in January.

The ministry said the channel's coverage of the attack "put India's national security at risk."

A four-day gunfight inside the Pathankot airbase ended with the killing of seven Indian troops and six gunmen.

The news channel however said it's coverage was not different from other TV news channels and it was exploring options to challenge the ban.

"It is shocking that NDTV has been singled out in this manner. Every channel and newspaper had similar coverage. In fact NDTV's coverage was particularly balanced ... NDTV is examining all options in this matter," NDTV said on Friday.

As per the government order, the 24-hour ban on the channel would come into effect on Nov. 9, starting from 12:00 a.m. local time.

The ban has evoked sharp condemnation from journalists and India's editors body - Editors Guild of India, which describe it as an attack on freedom of press in the country.

"The Editors Guild of India strongly condemns the unprecedented decision of the inter-ministerial committee of the Union Ministry of Information Broadcasting to take NDTV India off the air for a day and demands that the order be immediately rescinded," it said in a statement.

So far it is the first order in India against a news channel to go off the air. Endit