Crime Today News
The YouTube channel of 4 PM News, a digital news outlet, was blocked by the Union government on Tuesday.
YouTube said that the channel’s page was “unavailable in this country because of an order from the government related to national security or public order”.
The YouTube channel had about 7.3 million subscribers.
It is not immediately clear what led the government to order the blocking of the channel.
Sanjay Sharma, the editor-in-chief of 4 PM News, claimed that the ban was an attempt to “crush a strong voice of democracy in the name of national security”.
“If the government had any objection to any video, it could have informed by sending an email,” Sharma stated. “I would have checked it myself and if there was any mistake, I would have removed it.”
He added that “Modi is not the country” and asking questions to the government is not a crime. “It is our right to raise our voice in democracy.”
The journalist said that the news outlet will “continue to raise our voice” on 4 PM UP and its other channels.
The channel had uploaded several videos criticising the Narendra Modi-led Union government after the Pahalgam terror attack, Newslaundry reported.
The Congress criticised the Centre for blocking access to 4 PM News’ YouTube channel, stating that action was being taken against the outlet, satirist Madri Kakoti and Bhojpuri singer Neha Singh Rathore “because they are raising important questions, trying to show the truth”.
“Such a big attack happened, the media did not ask any questions,” party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said. “Poor guys are all busy running the PMO peon’s WhatsApp agenda.”
The Uttar Pradesh Police had booked Kakoti, known as Dr Medusa on social media, and Rathore on charges of sedition for making remarks on social media about the April 22 terrorist attack that it alleged were objectionable.
The blocking of the 4 PM News’ YouTube channel came two days after the Union government banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for allegedly disseminating false and provocative content in the backdrop of the Pahalgam attack.
The channels included those of news organisations such as Dawn News, Samaa TV, Ary News and Geo News. The 16 channels have 63 million followers put together.
The government also sent a letter to the BBC asking why it described the attackers as “militants” instead of “terrorists”, The Hindu quoted an unidentified government official. The government is said to be closely monitoring the British public broadcaster’s coverage of the attack.
The government approached the channel’s head, Jackie Martin, and conveyed its strong sentiments in connection with the matter, the newspaper had quoted the official as saying.
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