Earlier this week advisories had been issued, from the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting to the Indian news media, on the continual coverage of the terrorist attack in Mumbai. Now a notice has been sent to the Aaj Tak alleging that the channel’s coverage was creating public panic.

In its advisory, the Ministry said, “Repeated visuals and stories pertaining to the attack, which would make the perpetrators feel their attack was a ‘success’, should, therefore, now be avoided.”

It further added that if the ‘unbalanced reporting’ by TV channels continued, “it may be treated as coverage against the interest of the nation in the circumstances and attract appropriate action as per rules and as per terms and conditions of the permission granted for uplinking and downlinking of TV channels in India.”

The management of Aaj Tak is, at present, busy mulling over the notice which said that the channel has been accused of acting in a manner that may affect ’the integrity of the country’.