Coronavirus: I&B ministry asks states to ensure ''operational continuity'' of print,electronic media
New Delhi: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting urged all states and union territories to ensure "operational continuity" of print and electronic media in view of coronavirus outbreak.
In a letter to the chief secretaries of all states and union territories on March 23, the ministry said robust and essential information dissemination networks like TV channels, news agencies "are of utmost importance to ensure timely and authentic information dissemination".
Noting that proper functioning of these networks is required not only to create awareness among people but also keep the nation updated of the latest status, the letter said false and fake news need to be avoided.
"...good practices need to be promoted and these networks play a pivotal role in ensuring the same," it said.
The letter urged the state governments and union territory administrations to facilitate operational convenience of the services.
The services include TV channels, news agencies, teleport operators, Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG), Direct to Home (DTH) and Highend-in-the Sky (HITS), Multi System Operators (MSOS), cable operators, Frequency Modulation (FM) radio and Community Radio Stations (CRSS).
The letter urged that in case any restrictions are being contemplated to be imposed for containment of the virus, all operators of such facilities/intermediaries in the chain be permitted to remain operational.
"The facilities should be permitted to be manned by the staff of the service providers and the movement of the accredited staff of services providers be permitted," it said.
It also said the movement of vehicles carrying media persons, DSNGs and others including provisioning of fuel, where-ever required may kindly be facilitated; and availability of uninterrupted electric supply and other logistics as requested by such facilities be provided.
"The concerned service providers are being advised to coordinate with the local authorities in case any problem is faced by them in providing uninterrupted services," the letter said.
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Man hurls shoe at Swami Prasad Maurya in Agra, arrested
Agra, May 3: A man hurled a shoe at national president of Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Party Swami Prasad Maurya during a rally here on Friday.
The man, identified as Dharmendra Dhakrey, has been and further action is being taken against him, Dauki SHO Rampal Singh said.
A spokesperson of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM) claimed that Dhakrey is associated with the organisation.
Maurya in February left the Samajwadi Party and formed the Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Party.
The incident happened this evening when Maurya was addressing a rally in support of the party candidate from Fatehpur Sikri in Dauki.
Talking to PTI, ABHM spokesperson Sanjay Jaat said, "One of our members hurled a shoe at Maurya when he was delivering his speech in Dauki. We were against the leader over his remarks against Ramcharitmanas.”
Maurya striked a controversy by alleging that certain verses in the Ramcharitmanas, a sacred text in the Awadhi language based on the epic Ramayana, "insult" a large section of the society on the basis of caste and hence, those should be banned.
"We have also written letters in blood and appealed to admit him in a mental asylum for disrespecting the Hindu saints and Ramcharitmanas," Jaat said.
The members of the mahasabha also threw ink on Maurya’s cavalcade and brandished black flags when it was passing from Fatehabad.
The members threw black ink on the cavalcade and chanted 'Jai Shri Ram' slogans.
“We have been following Maurya’s cavalcade from the Fatehabad toll on Agra-Lucknow Expressway. Some of the members protested at Fatehabad and showed black flags when it was passing. Besides, they also threw ink on his car,” Jaat said.
While leaving the party, Maurya accused the SP leadership of discriminating against him and not defending him over his statements on the Ramcharitmanas and the Ayodhya temple consecration ceremony.
He had joined the Samajwadi Party leaving the BJP ahead of the 2022 assembly polls, contesting the elections unsuccessfully from Fazilnagar.
Before joining BJP in 2016, Swami Prasad Maurya was in the BSP and was leader of opposition in the Akhilesh yadav regime.
Recently, Maurya announced to contest the elections from Kushinagar Lok Sabha seat.
#WATCH | In Fatehabad, Agra, a youth threw a shoe at Swami Prasad Maurya, the National President of the Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Party. Maurya narrowly escaped the attack, and the police arrested the accused youth.#agra #Fatehabad #UP #SwamiPrasadMaurya #viralvideo #ABPLive pic.twitter.com/mIKsoLamue
— ABP LIVE (@abplive) May 3, 2024
