Can't Order Media To Refrain From Using Term 'Modi Government' Instead of Union Government: Karnataka HC

Karnataka High Court refused to entertain such petition expressing concerns against press releases issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) and media houses, which referred to the Government of India as 'Modi Government' and the Karnataka Government as 'BS Yediyurappa Government'.

It is often that the term used to describe a government or a ruling power is people-centric which means that the general mass is able to identify the subject in reference instantly. In one of the unusual, a person petitioned in Karnataka High Court on the usage of terms such as "Modi Government" or "BS Yediyurappa Govt" instead of referring to them as Union Government or State Government by media houses.     

Karnataka High Court refused to entertain such petition expressing concerns against press releases issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) and media houses, which referred to the Government of India as 'Modi Government' and the Karnataka Government as 'BS Yediyurappa Government'. The court made it clear that it cannot entertain a petition solely asking on dictating the verbiage of a media house.

“As far as the description of government by media is concerned it is not possible to issue any writ. However, the petitioner is free to make a representation containing his grievances about PIB, referring to the Government of India, as the Modi Government,” said a division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum in its order on Monday.

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“If such a representation is made the concerned authority will decide it in accordance with the law,” added the division bench.

The petitioner during the hearing queried that no government can be referred to by the name of the head of the government under the Constitution of India. The person occupying the constitutional post of Prime Minister or Chief Minister is only the representative of citizens and he/she does not own the government, the petition stated.

The division bench, however, considered three prayers raised in the petition: direct the respondents to come up with an ordinance, which will see that addressing any government by adding any person's name before it shall stand as an offence; to take all necessary measures to see that there will be no incidents in future that the press, ministers and other executives address the governments by the names of any person leading them; correct all government documents which has addressed the government by the respective Chief Ministers or Prime Minister.