New Delhi, Oct 19 The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Monday said it has taken suo motu cognisance of reports alleging that a news channel published defamatory content linking folk singer Neha Singh Rathore to a sex racket.
According to reports, the news channel aired a report which used derogatory words for Rathore. The singer has alleged that the channel attempted to malign her reputation by portraying her as a sex worker.
Following public criticism, the news channel reportedly acknowledged that the report was factually incorrect and issued an apology, the NCW said in a post on X.
“National Commission for Women has taken suo motu cognizance of reports regarding the publication of allegedly defamatory content by a News linking folk singer Ms. Neha Singh Rathore to an alleged sex racket,” it said.
NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has asked the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to direct the concerned regulatory, administrative and self-regulatory bodies of the media industry like Press Council of India and Electronic Media Monitoring Centre, News Broadcasters and Digital Association and the Digital Publishers Content Grievance Council to ensure immediate and time-bound action under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, the post said.
The commission also sought an action-taken report within 15 days and called for safeguards against gender-based character assassination and digital harassment of women.
“Media freedom must be exercised responsibly, with due regard for factual accuracy, women’s dignity, privacy and reputation,” the NCW said.
(PTI News)
