Government has taken action against 142 private channels in the last three years and the current year for not adhering to the programme and advertising codes which say that a programme should not be telecasted which contains anything obscene or contains an attack on religion or communities. In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur said that the government takes appropriate action in case of violation of the codes which includes insurance of advisories, warnings, directing channels to run apology scroll, and taking the channels off air.  He said that all private channels are required to adhere to the programme and advertising codes as prescribed in the cable television Networks (Regulation) act 1985.