Congress leader Shashi Tharoor and CPI(M) leader John Brittas on Wednesday welcomed the Supreme Court decision revoking the ban on Malayalam news channel MediaOne.
"The judgment robustly affirms press freedom. Shabash," Tharoor, a former Union minister and Lok Sabha member from Thiruvananthapuram, said.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday quashed the Centre's telecast ban on MediaOne, and pulled up the Ministry of Home Affairs for raising national security claims from "thin air" without facts.
"The Supreme Court's decision to overturn the ban on MediaOne is a victory for the freedom of press. It is crucial to protect the press from undue restrictions and curtailment of free speech. National security claims must be based on credible reasons, not made out of thin air," Brittas said.
In 2022, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had revoked the license of the television channel, citing "security concerns".
Observing that the State cannot impose unreasonable restrictions on press as it would have a chilling effect on press freedom, a bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud set aside the Kerala High Court order which had upheld the Centre's decision to ban the channel's telecast on security grounds.
The top court said critical views of the channel against government policies cannot be termed as anti-establishment as an independent press is necessary for a robust democracy.
"I welcome the Supreme Court decision revoking the ban on Malayalam TV channel MediaOne," Tharoor said on Twitter.
-With PTI Input
