NEW DELHI, Nov 4 - The one-day ban on a leading Hindi TV channel �NDTV India� by the Centre over its coverage of Pathankot attack drew sharp condemnation today from opposition parties and media bodies which called it �shocking and authoritarian� and reminiscent of Emergency days.
The leaders of the non-BJP parties and the media bodies also demanded immediate withdrawal of the order imposing the blackout on November 9.
There was also a suggestion by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh that all newspapers and channels �show courage� and �go off air and not publish� on that day to register their protest.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the order of the inter-ministerial panel of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry showed that an emergency-like situation prevailed in the country while Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi slammed it as �shocking and unprecedented�.
The Editors Guild of India condemned the order as a �direct violation� of the freedom of the press and similar sentiments were echoed by the Broadcast Editors� Association (BEA). � PTI
