Even before the passage of the controversial Broadcast Services Bill, 2023 and while the chilling 2023 amendment to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules are still under adjudication in India’s constitutional courts, the blatant nexus between corporate social media giants and the Indian BJP-dominated regime surfaced again with the sudden “shutting down” of Media Swaraj, a YouTube Channel run by veteran journalist Ram Dutt Tripathi. Speaking to Sabrang India, Tripathi said that recent shows were on controversial EVMs (electronic voting machines and that Media Srawaj, with 7,000 subscribers is generally critical of government.
The mandatory appeal filed by Media Swaraj was brief and filed on the prescribed format. The channel informed Sabrang India that “We have been following all rules and guidelines and see no valid reason for this drastic action. We have filed an appeal against this decision and requested them to restore the channel.”
Ram Dutt Tripathi, senior journalist and with the BBC for 21 years is the founder and anchor of the channel, Media Swaraj news YouTube channel that is being run on the principles of Public Service Journalism and has been following rules and guidelines. The focus of the platform is politics, democracy, rule of law, health and environment. The channel has been terminated by the YouTube on 7th February around 4 pm.
Media Swaraj and Ram Dutt Tripathi received the intimation of the unilateral termination by email and an appeal has been filed on prescribed format. The news has come as a shock to Media Swaraj listeners and subscribers. People are expressing their support and solidarity. Tushar Gandhi, great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi is one among them. On the afternoon of Thursday, Media Swaraj received an email that the channel has been restored.
Founders have no claim, traitors and deserters have ownership rights in politics in India #Shiv_Sena #NCP #ECI
— Tushar GANDHI (@TusharG) February 6, 2024
In solidarity with #Media_Swaraj You Tube shame on you for suspending an independent media channel for doing their job without partiality. #Free_Media_Swaraj
— Tushar GANDHI (@TusharG) February 7, 2024
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