Kolkata, December 16: With the protests against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) flaring up across West Bengal, the Mamata Banerjee government has issued an advisory for all television channels. The state, in the advisory issued on Monday, directed the TV channels to abstain from repeatedly showing old footage of violence which may end up stoking tensions. Home Ministry Issues Advisory to States and UTs as Protests Against Citizenship Law Flare Across Nation.

The advisory, issued by the Department of Information and Cultural Affairs, warns the media outlets against airing any sort of footage which may instigate tensions and fan violence. The TV channels, in particular, have been asked to adhere to the guidelines issued by the Press Council of India (PCI) for reportage on sensitive issues.

"The state government appeals to all media to observe utmost restraint and exercise caution while reporting the sporadic incidents of violence," the advisory states, further adding that some TV channels have been found "repeatedly showing the old footage of sporadic incidents of violence, thereby causing a misleading impression."

See Media Advisory Issued by West Bengal Govt

The unrest in West Bengal broke out last week, after the Parliament cleared the law to naturalise non-Muslim refugees. The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), combined with the pan-India National Register of Citizenship (NRC) exercise, is being seen as an alleged ploy by the Narendra Modi government to turn the Indian Muslims "stateless".

The protests in West Bengal have been centred in the districts of Malda, Murshidabad, Uttar Dinajpur and Howrah. Internet connection in the region was snapped by the authorities on Sunday to prevent the mobilisation of protesters and circulation of misinformation. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while supporting the anti-CAA protests, has appealed for utmost restraint and peace.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 16, 2019 08:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).