This statement was originally published on ifj.org on 1 October 2020.
On September 28 the state police raided Power TV‘s office, forcibly seizing laptops and hard disks, and damaging the server, resulting in the shutdown of the channel. Authorities then blocked the broadcaster’s YouTube channel and Facebook site. The home of the channel’s managing director-editor Rakesh Shetty was also searched after a complaint was registered against Shetty on grounds of criminal intimidation, forgery, extortion, cheating, and criminal conspiracy.
The administration’s move is in reprisal for a story exposing Y Vijayendra, son of Chief Minister (CM) BS Yediyurappa who received bribes from a private builder, Ramalingam Construction Company Ltd (RCCL). The reports alleged that the RCCL bribed Vijayendra in order to gain favour from the Chief Minister to build a government housing project worth 6.66 billion Indian rupees (USD 9,069,862) and the son’s involvement in other government affairs.
The sudden shutdown of Power TV means more than 250 staff are left in a precarious situation at a time when job cuts and salary cuts are rampant in India.
The IJU Secretary General Sabina Inderjit said: “Closing down a media channel in a dictatorial manner for exposing the Chief Minister’s son’s corruption is not acceptable. The IJU demanded the immediate restoration of the TV channel.”
The NUJ-I president Ras Bihari said: “The NUJ (I) strongly condemns this autocratic act of threatening the fourth pillar of democracy and demands an enquiry to reveal the truth.”
The IFJ said: “The seizure of the equipment of the television channel and abrupt shutdown of an entire network over reports exposing corruption is clear evidence that the Bookanakere Siddalingappa Yediyurappa-led government is misusing power. We urge the central government to intervene and reverse the order to allow the television channel to continue operations.”
The post India: Karnataka government forcibly shuts down Power TV appeared first on IFEX.
Source: MEDIA FEED
