Mamata threatens to launch agition over 31 Oct TV digitsation deadline

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee today threatened to launch an agitation if television transmission was blacked out after the 31 October for digitisation. She also accused that the central government of trying to adopt a path of "confrontation" with the states on the issue.

"When set top boxes are not in hand, analog system should be allowed to continue and the Centre has no right to blackout television. We can't simply accept this stand of the Centre," Banerjee told a press conference in Kolkata.

She said she had not received a reply to her communication to the centre in June on seeking an extension to the deadline. She added, if necessary, her party would launch a state wide movement and later spread it to the whole of India.

She said the centre seemed to be interested in a confrontation with the states over the issue of digitisation.