Khaira demands panel to monitor PTC channels
Tuesday, 01/04/2014
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
CHANDIGARH: Alle ging that the PTC news and entertainment channels were owned by Punjab’s ruling Badals, thus working as paid propaganda, Congress spokesman Sukhpal Singh Khaira has demanded that the Election Commission set up a monitoring committee to scrutinise and screen their “politically motivated” content.
“Partisan, misleading and maliciously false propaganda is being done by the PTC channels, to tarnish the image of all political parties and opponents of Badal family in Punjab. The PTC News channel has been playing a major role in influencing voters of Punjab in favour of the SAD-BJP ruling alliance,” said Khaira in a complaint to the EC. He added that it is in violation of government guidelines that forbid political entitities from owning TV news channels.
The PTC Group has been “direct beneficiary of the SADBJP government largesse in the form of advertisements, patronage and exclusive commercial rights for coverage of events organised by the state government since the inception of PTC in 2007, the year the SAD-BJP formed the government.”
