HC reserves verdict on MediaOne appeal
The Hindu
Victimised for fair and genuine news reporting, says channel
A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Thursday reserved its verdict on an appeal filed by the MediaOne TV channel against a single judge's judgment upholding an order of the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting revoking the broadcasting licence of the channel.
The Bench comprising Chief Justice S. Manikumar and Justice Shaji P. Chali reserved its judgment after the conclusion of the arguments by senior Supreme Court lawyer Dushyant Dava for Madhyamam Broadcasting Limited, Kozhikode, which owns the channel, and Additional Solicitor General of India at the Supreme Court Aman Lekhi.
With the clock ticking down to the Lok Sabha election counting day on Tuesday, opposing fronts are perceptibly edgy and poised to continue the rancorous skirmishing that marked the campaign season in Kerala. The United Democratic Front, led by the Congress, is seemingly basking in the “interim victory” granted by various exit polls. The UDF discerns that its poll strategy of turning the polls foremostly into a damning referendum on the Left Democratic Front government’s perceived failures rather than BJP’s “divisive politics” at the national level stood a fighting chance of paying off.