NaMo TV cannot air any political content without pre-certification: EC

The Election Commission on Thursday directed Delhi's chief electoral officer that all political publicity contents being displayed without pre-certification be removed immediately from NaMo TV.

The channel carries the picture of Modi on its logo. It was launched on March 31, nearly two weeks after the Model Code of Conduct came into effect and ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Thursday directed Delhi's chief electoral officer that all political publicity contents being displayed without pre-certification be removed immediately from NaMo TV. The poll panel wrote to Delhi's CEO to execute its instructions and "immediately" file a compliance report. The channel carries the picture of Modi on its logo. It was launched on March 31, nearly two weeks after the Model Code of Conduct came into effect and ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The channel, available on various DTH and cable TV platforms, broadcast election rallies, speeches of the Prime Minister and interviews of BJP leaders. "lt has been brought to the notice of the Commission that NaMo TV/Content TV is a platform service offered by DTH operators offered to the BJP on a paid basis," the EC said. "Accordingly, all political advertisements and all recorded programmes with political contents are mandatorily required to be pre-certified by the MCMC before telecasting/displaying". The poll panel said any political content has to be permitted by the local media certification committee "strictly in accordance with the EC's instructions in this regard". "Any political publicity materials/contents, being displayed on electronic media without the requisite certification from competent authority (MCMC in this case) should be removed immediately and any political content shall only be permitted strictly in accordance with the ECl instructions in this regard," the EC said. Earlier, the EC had asked Delhi's CEO to confirm if the TV channel had sought its permission to air its programmes and had got it pre-certified. It noted that the Delhi CEO had confirmed there had been no pre-certification of the content. After the Congress filed a complaint with the poll panel about the channel disturbing the level playing field, the EC had asked the CEO Delhi to file a report on the issue. Earlier, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting told the poll panel that it was an advertising platform that did not require a license from the ministry. Earlier, the Delhi CEO approved the logo of NaMo TV, which the BJP said is part of the NaMo App that it owns, but did not "certify" the content as it contained the old speeches of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.