Breaking: Supreme Court refuses pre-telecast ban on Sudarshan TV program on 'UPSC Jihad', issues notice to Centre

The Supreme Court has refused to impose a pre-broadcast ban on the controversial Sudarshan TV programme touted as a ''big expose on the conspiracy" regarding Muslims "infiltrating government service''..The Bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and KM Joseph said that it has to be circumspect in imposing a prior restraint on publication or the airing of views..The Court, however, issued notice to the Centre, the Press Council of India, the News Broadcasters Association and Sudarshan News returnable on September 15..The order reads,."At this stage, we have desisted from imposing a pre-broadcast interlocutory injunction on the basis of an unverified transcript of a forty nine second clip. The Court has to be circumspect in imposing a prior restraint on publication or the airing of views."Supreme Court.Advocate Firoz Iqbal Khan had moved the Court, submitting transcripts of the show to prove that the program set to be aired today would be derogatory to Muslims entering the profession of civil services. .The petitioner had submitted that the airing of views in the course of the programme would violate the Programme Code under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995, together with the Code of Ethics and News Broadcasting Standards Regulations..Contrary to the Supreme Court's refusal to impose a pre-broadcast ban, the Delhi High Court's Justice Navin Chawla earlier today stayed the broadcast of the show by Sudarshan News, which claimed to be an “expose” on the “infiltration of Muslims” in the civil services..Delhi HC stays broadcast of Sudarshan TV's show on Muslim "infiltration" in government services.The promo of the show shared by the channel’s Editor-in-Chief Suresh Chavhanke, with hashtag ‘UPSC Jihad’, has garnered criticism from several quarters. .In the video, he called those passing out of Jamia Milia Islamia's Residential Coaching Academy (RCA) and clearing the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) as “Jamia ke Jihadi”..[Read order]