MUMBAI: The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) has strongly deplored the suggestion by Congress president Sonia Gandhi to "impose a complete ban on media advertisements - television, print and online - by the government and public sector undertakings (PSUs) for a period of two years".

At a time when journalists, without fearing for their lives, are doing their national duty, by disseminating news on the pandemic, a statement like this from the Congress president is highly demoralising, said the association.

On the one hand, there has been a slump in advertisement revenues of electronic media due to recession, on the other hand it is suffering from financial blows due to nationwide lockdown of all industries and businesses. Moreover, news channels are spending heavily on providing safety to their reporters and production staff. To suggest a "complete ban" on government and PSU advertisements is not only ill-timed, but highly arbitrary, said the association in a release.

NBA has called upon the Congress  to withdraw her suggestion made to the prime minister about "complete ban" on media advertisements for two years in the interest of a healthy and free media.