Bengaluru, The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has asked Kannada news channel Public TV why it should not be taken off air for telecasting a misleading bulletin which said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will rain money from helicopters, an official said on Thursday.

"That programme said Modi will drop money from helicopter. It was totally misleading and so many people in the villages are waiting and sitting outside," Press Information Bureau Additional Director General Nagendra Swamy told IANS.

Swamy said he has served a notice to the television channel as per the rules and questioned the channel why it should not be taken off air.

"On April 15, 2020, your news channel Public TV broadcast an item, Helicopter Money – ‘Helicopternalli surithara Modi' at 8:30 p.m., which is false, mischievous and deliberate and clearly violates the broadcasting code and rules," Swamy said in his notice.

He questioned the news channel why it was spreading false information, creating panic and social unrest when the whole country is fighting Covid-19.

"In view of the above serious violation of Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, and rules framed there under, you are hereby directed to show cause why your channel should not be taken out of air immediately," said the notice.

Swamy has given the channel 10 days' time to reply.