ON December 30, Times Now Navbharat aired a debate show titled ‘Rashtravad | 2024 में Ram Mandir का उद्घाटन… अभी ‘हथौड़े‘ की बात क्यों?’ to debate upon a problematic and inflammatory statement made by one Maulana Sajid Rashidi. Rashidi is known for appearing on TV news channels often and misrepresenting the Muslim community, claiming to be speaking for the community. He is known to have made controversial statements in the past. This time made a statement solely to Times Now that it is possible that our future generations will agitate against the demolition of Babri Masjid and 50 or 100 years down the line they could break the temple and build a mosque again.
The Host Rakesh Pandey, held a debate show to question this statement by calling Rashidi on the show along with one Islamic Scholar Rangrez and two Hindutva persons.
The complaint states that by choosing this as a news point to debate upon, the channel chose to be partial and promoted a communal narrative.
Some problematic tickers that ran throughout the show:
Hindustan me ‘gazwa-e-hind’ ka plan? (0.12) (Gazwa-i-hind being planned in India?)
Maulana Musalmano ko bhadkayenge (0.16) (Maulana will incite Muslims)
Ram mandir todne ko uksayenge? (0.20) (Will he incite them to destroy ram mandir?)
Musalmano ko uksa rahe hai sajid rashidi? (0.24) (Is Sajid Rashidi inciting Muslims?)
Islamic rashtra wali sazish decode? (0.27) (Conspiracy of ‘Islamic’ nation decode)
2024 me ram mandir ka udghatan abhi hathode ki baat kyu? (5:07) (Ram Mandir will be inaugurated in 2024 then why are they talking of a ‘hammer’ now?)
All in all, the debate show which brazenly picked up a communal statement and made it a point of debate, further exacerbated the same by calling speakers with radical views and allowing them to hurl abuses at each other and also physically assault each other. Any responsible channel would have debarred such speakers from its platform and stopped the show then and there. Yet, the host continued with the show while making some extremely problematic statements towards the end as shown above saying, “by 2047 there will be an Islamic nation” “Plan to capture the country by increasing population”. All this while displaying a picture of a skull-cap clad crowd.
The complaint states that the channel’s intention was to play with the communal angle and milk it to an extent that would provoke animosity amongst the “ram mandir’’ loving Hindu viewers. Such a dialogue is bound to incite hatred against the Muslim community based on the statement made by one controversial person.
The complaint may be read here:
Related:
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF SUDARSHAN TV SURESH CHAVHANKE TARGETS CHRISTMAS AND MUSLIMS
RIGHTSWATCH 2022: CJP’S PURSUIT TO PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS & DIGNITY
CJP WRITES TO NBDSA AGAINST TIMES NOW ‘MADRASSA JIHAD’ SHOW