Screenshots from viral video 

Repeat hate offender Sudarshan News TV has once again used its social media handle to spread hate against Muslims. The handle tweeted a video clip of a street play on so-called "Love Jihad", purposely enacted at a large public gathering. Sudarshan News TV praised it, especially for calling Muslims “termites” and “viruses”.

According to Sudharshan such anti-Muslim plays must be encouraged and enacted at garbha venues and Durga puja pandals in the future. It stated that this will “help preserve the sanctity of Sanatan” and will also save “sisters and daughters from love jihad.”

हिंदू समाज को दीमक की तरह संक्रमित कर रहे उन्मादी वायरस #LoveJihad के विरुद्ध ये थीम प्रशंसनीय है, वंदनीय है.

सभी गरबा/डांडिया व दुर्गा पूजा पांडालों में ऐसे थीम बनाए जाएं ताकि न सिर्फ सनातन की पवित्रता बची रहे बल्कि हमारी बहन बेटियां भी लव ज़िहाद से बची रहें. pic.twitter.com/yVz6P7K20G

— Sudarshan News (@SudarshanNewsTV) October 12, 2021

The video clip is of a street play that shows a young man who is pretending to be a Hindu to woo a girl. He later reveals himself to be Muslim man by wearing a skull cap. Needless to add, in this play the Hindu woman is the victim and the skull cap wearing man is the attacker. The video got a lot of love from the right-wing echo chamber.

Last month, Sudershan News owner and ‘editor’ Suresh Chavhanke had targetted film actor Shahrukh Khan for his Muslim identity. Chavhanke repackaged old conspiracy theories claiming that Shahrukh Khan is close to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, or that he favours Pakistani cricket players, etc. Chavhanke has in the past been exposed by Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), that has taken action against different media houses and new agencies who were engaging in hate speech.

Among them was Sudarshan News which had run a special nine-episode series on its show “Bindaas Bol” titled – Naukarshahi mein Muslamano ki Ghuspaith ke Shadyantra ka Bada Khulasa (The conspiracy behind Muslim infiltration in UPSC – The Big Reveal). The channel’s Editor-in-Chief Suresh Chavhanke had asked “How has there been a sudden rise in the number of Muslims in IAS and IPS? What is the secret behind scoring high marks in such a difficult exam? If Jihadis of Jamia become your Collectors and Chief Secretaries, what will happen then?” 

CJP had complained to the National Broadcasting STandards Authority (NBSA) about the divisive and communal nature of the programme and warned how the discriminatory statements and unverified claims can potentially “lead to mass violence and targeting of the Muslim community”. It reminded the NBSA of the hate speech and vehement hate propaganda created and distributed against the Muslim community in the past few years and the of the role of the TV news media in this regard. The NBSA responded and sent the complaint to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB). The Delhi High Court had also requested the centre to determine if the programme should be aired, after the I&B Ministry allowed it the first episode of the show was aired on September 11, 2020. Chavhanke showed misleading calculations to assert how Muslims get undue advantages in the recruitment exams for public office.

Eventually it was the Supreme Court that restrained it from telecasting any more episodes and passed a restraining order.

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