Srinagar, Aug 2: The High Court of J&K and Ladakh has issued notice to authorities on a contempt plea regarding mushrooming of news portals in alleged unregulated manner.
The notice was issued by a Division Bench of Chief Justice (Acting) Justice Tashi Rabstan and Justice Puneet Gupta on the plea filed Peoples Forum, a non-governmental organisation, which had filed a Public Interest Litigation in 2021 in this regard.
While disposing of the PIL on 3 June 2022, the court had directed the petitioner to approach the concerned authority with a detailed representation giving suggestions therein for stopping the mushrooming of news portals on social media. “In the event, the petitioner so submits the representation and the suggestions, the Government and the Principal Secretary, Information Department would be free to consider the same and take an appropriate action most expeditiously as may be permissible in law,” the court had directed.
In absence of any permission having been granted by the competent authority for running a news portal, the petitioner had submitted that it was sufficient to infer that there is no proper, legal and regulatory mechanism in place at present with the result a state of confusion prevails on the subject as to the genuineness of any news transmitted by such channels/ portals. The Facebook and WhatsApp journalists have now moved a step ahead by blackmailing the Government as well as private officials, civil contractors etc on a daily basis, the petitioner said.
the petitioner had further stated that it was obligatory upon the authorities to scrutinize the credentials and antecedents of every person holding any direct or indirect position in any media house, media channel and / or social media group and identify the Government employees so that they are made to choose either their employment in the government or in the media house.
