Bengaluru police asks TV channels to stick to 'programming code' or face action
Bengaluru, Mar 10: The City Police has asked TV news channels to conform to the "Programming Code" and desist from airing objectionable videos, or else face action, in a move that came after some of them broadcast videos purportedly showing a former minister in "sex-for-job" clips which he has sought to dismiss as 'fake.'
Days after the resignation of Karnataka minister Ramesh Jarkiholi following television channels showing videos pertaining to the alleged sex-for-job scandal, Bengaluru police commissioner Kamal Pant passed an order to this effect on Tuesday.
In his order Pant said, "As an 'Authorised Officer' for Bengaluru City jurisdiction as per the powers vested under section 19 the Cable Television Networks (Regulations) Act, 1995 in public interest, hereby prohibit all the broadcasts, which are not strictly in conformity in terms of 'Programming Code'."
"Any violation of the aforesaid direction, shall be liable for prosecution, under section 16 of Cable Television Networks Act, 1994," he said.
The order came even as the government had been mulling bringing in a law to prevent news channels from airing footage of objectionable videos.
Jarkiholi, who was earlier with the Congress, was among the chief architects in causing the downfall of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government that eventually paved the way for the BJP to come to power in 2019.
The BJP MLA, who had stepped down as minister on March 3 following allegations of sexual harassment against him, had said on Tuesday that the videos purportedly showing him with a woman were fake and vowed to send the 'conspirators' behind bars.
Earlier, a social activist had filed a complaint against the Gokak MLA, alleging he sexually harassed a 'job aspirant' and had threatened her and her family with dire consequences.
But Dinesh Kallahalli subsequently witdrew the complaint, saying he was hurt by allegations of a Rs 5 crore deal, levelled by JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy, in the matter.
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Ruckus outside counting centre in Mamata's constituency, TMC claims entry of car with BJP flag
Kolkata (PTI): The counting centre at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Bhabanipur assembly constituency witnessed a ruckus a day ahead of the counting of votes, with TMC workers alleging two cars bearing the BJP's flag were allowed entry to the compound where EVMs are kept.
The incident comes close on the heels of a four-hour-long sit-in by Banerjee in front of the same counting centre at the Sakhawat Memorial Girls School on Thursday night, alleging unauthorised entry of persons into the strongroom.
With the polling now over, the wrangling for power in West Bengal has turned into a battle of nerves between the incumbent TMC and the BJP. Workers and leaders of both parties have been keeping a steely gaze on the security of strongrooms across the state where the electoral fate of the candidates is sealed.
Despite expressing her confidence in a "landslide victory", Banerjee has repeatedly aired her apprehensions of "counting malpractice and EVM tampering ahead of the day of results".
On Sunday morning, TMC workers camping 100 metres from the counting centre alleged that two cars with BJP flags entered the premises and went near the strongroom.
"The CAPF personnel at the spot are not allowing any vehicle or person to enter the premises of the counting centre without valid identity proof. Then how come this car, which we have not seen in the past few days, was allowed entry? Once we protested, the central forces asked us to move 100 metres away," a TMC activist said.
The TMC claimed that while the police personnel posted there promised the vehicle would be removed from the spot, it remained there for some time.
A senior Election Commission official said the car was passing by the Harish Mukherjee Road, and after checking by security forces and police, it was allowed to leave as nothing objectionable was found in it.
On Thursday night, two counting centres, including one at Sakhawat Memorial Girls School in the city, witnessed high drama after TMC leaders alleged a lack of transparency and possible malpractice at the strongrooms housing sealed EVMs of the assembly polls, which concluded on April 29.
TMC leaders and candidates, Sashi Panja and Kunal Ghosh, held a sit-in outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra counting centre on Thursday evening, alleging unauthorised activities inside the strongroom amid the absence of TMC agents
In Howrah, TMC protested renovation work by the public works department at a place adjacent to the strongroom, and the EC stopped the work temporarily.
On Saturday, the ruling party filed a complaint with the poll panel, alleging unauthorised sorting of postal ballot covers at the EVM strongroom in Khudiram Anushilan Kendra.
Similar scenes were witnessed on Saturday outside the strongrooms at Asansol College in Paschim Bardhaman and the Barasat Government College in North 24 Parganas districts, where TMC workers held protests, alleging that CCTV cameras were switched off for several minutes.
The EC turned down all allegations, saying the surveillance cameras were working in an uninterrupted manner.
BJP spokesperson Sajal Ghosh told reporters that the people of Bengal were finding it "hilarious" that the TMC, "which used to win elections through unfair means and strongarm tactics" were now coming up with all sorts of "frivolous charges".
"Are they scared of losing?" he posed.
