The government on Thursday said it was concerned about the freedom of speech and expression and that the country was not in the times of 1975 or the Emergency.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan told the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) that the government has initiated action against 160 TV channels and blocked 60 channels on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter pages as their content was against the integrity and safety of the nation, according to a PTI report.

“Our government is concerned about the freedom of speech and expression… We are not in 1975. We are not in Emergency…,” he said in the House during the Question Hour.

Murugan was responding to a question by an opposition member who alleged that the government was misusing penal provisions to curb the freedom of speech and expression.

Replying to supplementaries on action against news channels for anti-national content, he said the Press Council of India and a three-tier mechanism is in place to check the content.

This, he said, includes self-regulatory mechanisms and self-regulatory bodies, and if the grievances are not sorted out, only then does the inter-departmental government committee takes up a case.

“We wish to inform you that we have initiated 160 cases against TV channels,” the minister told the House.

Asked about the action against MediaOne channel, he said, “We are not doing anything on MediaOne. Whatever permissions to channels are being given (are) after the Home Ministry gives security clearance. MediaOne matter is sub-judice also.”

The Kerala High Court had put a temporary stay on the government order to go off air and explain why the TV channel was airing when its permission had not been renewed after the Ministry of Home Affairs did not give it a clean chit.

“Within two months, our government initiated action against 60 channels whose content was against the nation and against the integrity and safety of the nation. We cannot tolerate it.

“We blocked 60 channels, including Youtube and Facebook and Twitter accounts as they disturbed the nation’s peace and security. We are concerned about the freedom of speech and freedom of expression,” the junior MIB minister told the Rajya Sabha.

In a written reply, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said all programmes telecast on private satellite TV channels are required to adhere to the programme code laid down in Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994.

“The government takes action against private satellite TV channels in cases where programme code is found to be violated, by way of issuing advisories, warnings, apology scroll orders, off-air orders, etc. The Ministry also issues advisories from time to time to private satellite TV channels for adhering to the programme code,” he also said.