Patna, Nov 5 (IANS): Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday condemned the central government's decision to ban NDTV India for a day and said that a free and impartial media is a must in any democracy.

"The central government's ban on NDTV is encroaching upon the freedom of media, it is condemnable. (Kendra sarkar dwara NDTV ko ban karna, media ki swatantra par ankush lagana hai, nindanye hai)," the JD-U president said in a tweet.

"Loktantra mein swatantra evam nishpaksh media awasaik hai" (A free and impartial media is a must in any democracy), he said.

It was Nitish Kumar's first reaction after the central government imposed the ban on the Hindi news channel for a day from November 8 midnight, for allegedly breaching cable TV norms in its coverage of the January 2 terror attack on the Pathankot Air Force base. 

Earlier, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his government's decision to ban NDTV. Lalu Prasad, criticising the ban, said there was "an Emergency like situation in the country".

"What kind of democracy are you building, Modiji?" the former Bihar Chief Minister asked in a tweet.