The High Court Kerala restrained the Central Govt from taking any coercive action against the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) under new IT Rules.
The Court passed this interim order on NBA's plea challenging the new IT rules on the ground that they give Govt authorities excessive powers to unreasonably & impermissibly restrict the freedom of speech & expression of the media.
The bench of Justice PB Suresh Kumar stated that "the respondents shall not to take any coercive action against the petitioners for non-compliance of the provisions contained in the Rules."
The petition has challenged the new rules as the Information Technology Act, 2000 does not contain any provision for dealing with the content of any programme & therefore, the rules are ultra vires the parent Act.
Supreme Link
Picture Source :
