The Union Government on Wednesday informed the Supreme Court that it denied clearance to the MediaOne channel based on the intelligence reports.
In an affidavit submitted before the apex court, the centre refused to hand over the documents submitted by the intelligence to MediaOne.
The centre informed the SC that if the documents are handed over to the channel it will affect the national security.
Vrunda Manohar Desai, director of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting filed the affidavit before the SC.
“There is no need to inform the channel owners about the reason behind declining security clearance. This is the central government’s policy.
But the centre had already handed over the files related to the denial of security clearance to MediaOne in a sealed envelope to the Kerala High Court. If the Supreme Court insists, the centre is ready to produce the same,” the centre informed the SC in the affidavit.
The centre also asserted that the channel owners should not claim that they are entitled to get the license renewed. The license of the channel will be renewed only if the rules are followed, pointed out the centre.
The central government also appealed to the SC to dismiss the plea of the MediaOne group against the HC order which upheld the ban on the channel.
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