BJP Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta, on Tuesday, called out West Bengal government for pulling the plug on Calcutta News for criticising TMC government. Under sustained administrative pressure cable networks in Kolkata pulled the plug on Calcutta News, he further added.
Taking to Twitter, Swapan Dasgupta wrote: "Last evening, under sustained administrative pressure, cable networks in & around Kolkata pulled the plug on @calcutta_news , a tv network that was mildly critical of @MamataOfficial govt. I understand there is pressure to do the same to Sadhna News."
Swapan Dasgupta further said this sustained attack on news and opinions that are not to TMC’s liking is a feature of the state government that sustains itself on crude propaganda and sycophancy. "I will do my utmost to help publications and TV networks maintain their independence in West Bengal," he added.
Earlier, in a similar incident, Kerala's news media was in for a shock after the central government banned two of the state's most-watched news channels, Asianet News and Media One, over their coverage of the riots in northeast Delhi. But the ban was lifted after 48-hours.
Speaking to media persons, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar had then said, "Two Kerala dailies were banned for 48 hours. We immediately found out what actually happened and therefore immediately we restored the channels. Our basic thought process is that press freedom is absolutely essential for a democratic setup. And that is commitment of the Narendra Modi-led government, as we fought emergency in which press freedom was muzzled."
