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In the latest development, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is learnt to have directed the Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi on Tuesday to ensure that the contents of NaMo TV are pre-certified by the local media certification and monitoring committee.
Such committees are formed at district and state levels during polls. They clear political campaign and advertisements.
The EC has also asked the CEO to inform whether the political contents were at anytime cleared by the certification committee.
The EC had sought details of "Namo TV" from the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry on complaints filed by the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), sources said.
In its response, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry is learnt to have responded that the NaMo TV is an advertisement platform launched by DTH service providers which does not require government nod.
The ministry is also learnt to have said that NaMo TV is not a regular channel and it does not figure in the official list of approved channels of the I&B Ministry.
As per the existing norms, no approval is required from the ministry to run such advertising platforms, the I&B ministry is learnt to have told the poll panel.
Launched recently, the channel uses the (political) initials of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is devoted to coverage of his rallies and speeches. Both Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have promoted Namo TV on the social media.
In a tweet, soon after its launch, Modi shared a picture saying the channel will have a "real-time coverage of PM Modi's exciting election campaign and a lot more fascinating content".
The Congress moved the EC seeking strictures against Modi and the BJP for promoting "Namo TV" as "a political tool" when the model code of conduct (MCC) was in force, and using the government-owned Doordarshan for their election campaign.
(With inputs from agencies)
