EC bans PM Narendra Modi biopic, put NaMo TV off air till Lok Sabha elections

EC bans PM Narendra Modi biopic, put NaMo TV off air till Lok Sabha elections

FPJ News ServiceUpdated: Tuesday, May 28, 2019, 11:59 PM IST
article-image

New Delhi: Clearly on the back foot after former bureaucrats questioned the credibility of the poll panel, the EC on Wednesday stayed the release of ‘PM Narendra Modi’ — a biopic on the Prime Minister — till the general elections are over, citing that the film “disturbs the level-playing field.”

The film was scheduled for release on Thursday, coinciding with the onset of the Lok Sabha polls. The EC embargo came hours after the Central Board of Film Certification gave it a green signal. The order banning the release of the biopic also applies to Namo TV, the 24-hour channel promoting PM Modi and the BJP; the channel had surreptitiously landed on DTH connections ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

While earlier the order was thought to only relate to the biopic, an Election Commission official told News18 that it also applies to the TV channel. The channel has been at the centre of a controversy for the last 10 days as it never sought a license from the government to uplink and downlink content via satellite.

The opposition parties were up in arms against it and asked how its operation is compatible with both India’s broadcasting and election-related laws. Tata Sky, which had initially called NaMo TV a “Hindi news channel” in a promotional tweet, reversed its stand later to toe the official line and called the channel a “special service”.

This was seen as a way to circumvent the rules.Available across major DTH platforms in the country, the channel exclusive aired speeches of the Prime Minister. The Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry, however, called it a “platform service” of the DTH operators in its response to a notice from the EC.

Actor Vivek Oberoi, who is playing Narendra Modi in the biopic, cancelled a scheduled press meet after the Election Commission banned its screening during poll period. The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed by a Congress activist seeking stay on the release of the biopic and said the EC would be an “appropriate” place to seek the redressal.

RECENT STORIES

Engaged Or Married? Aditi Rao Hydari & Siddharth Flaunt New Rings, Make It Official Amid Wedding...

Engaged Or Married? Aditi Rao Hydari & Siddharth Flaunt New Rings, Make It Official Amid Wedding...

Sushant Singh Rajput's Chhichhore Co-Star Naveen Polishetty Meets With Accident In US

Sushant Singh Rajput's Chhichhore Co-Star Naveen Polishetty Meets With Accident In US

A Gentleman In Moscow OTT Release Date: Know About Plot, Platform & Cast

A Gentleman In Moscow OTT Release Date: Know About Plot, Platform & Cast

Hi Anokhi Gaath OTT Release: When & Where To Watch Shreyas Talpade's Marathi Film

Hi Anokhi Gaath OTT Release: When & Where To Watch Shreyas Talpade's Marathi Film

The Holdovers OTT Release Date: When & Where To Watch Alexander Payne's Oscar-Nominated Film

The Holdovers OTT Release Date: When & Where To Watch Alexander Payne's Oscar-Nominated Film