The Delhi High Court asked the centre to take "just and proper" decision
on broadcaster neo sports' alleged racist advertisement that depicted India as
an "inhospitable host" during the India-West Indies and India Sri
Lanka cricket series.
The direction came from a bench comprising chief justice M
K Sharma and justice Sanjiv Khanna which sought staying of the advertisement
and imposition of damage on the centre and BCCI for not taking steps
to stop airing of such advertisements.
The government, responding to a query by the bench that what
action it took in this regard, informed the court that it had issued show cause
notice to Nimbus on the controversial advertisement on February 14. Nimbus
operates the sports channel Neo Sports.
However, the counsel for nimbus appealed to the court that its direction to
government to take just and proper decision should be deleted as the advertisement
was only for the purpose of fun and its intention was not to hurt anyone's sentiment.
The Court, however refused to entertain its contention and said: "you
should have come with an affidavit stating that you would not telecast such
advertisement in the future."
Earlier, on February 14, the court had asked the centre to clarify its stand
alleging racist overtones in an advertisement aired on neo sports and that the
government has failed to protect Indian pride and sentiments.
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