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Plea in SC seeking strict action for communalizing of Tablighi Jamat incident by news media

The petition has asked the court to direct the government to take appropriate action against fake news and communalization

Tablighi JamaatImage Courtesy: indialegallive.com

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking strict action against the media for communalizing the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi. This petition, filed by Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, states that the “unfortunate incident of the Tablighi Jamat was being used to demonise and blame the entire Muslim community”. The petition also pointed out the fake news that was being propagated which has triggered communal antagonism.

The petition urges the court to put a halt on such communally charged news reporting immediately as any delay may result in promoting feeling of ill-will, enmity and hatred towards the Muslim Community which may further result in unrest. The petitioner had termed the demonization of the Muslim community as an infringement of right to live under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The petition also laid out the recent judgment of the Supreme Court which directed the media to maintain a strong sense of responsibility and ensure that unverified news capable of causing panic is not disseminated. The petitioner has also posed a few questions for the court to determine:

1. whether giving a communal angle while reporting the Nizamuddin Markaz incident has violated Article 21 of Muslim persons?

2. Whether reporting giving communal flavour to the Nizamuddin Markaz incident is in violation of the provisions of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act,1995?

3. Whether such reporting demonizing the entire Muslim community is contrary to principles of secularism?

4. Whether the respondent Union failed in its duty in failing to prohibit transmission of such programmes wherein a communal angle was given to the entire incident in accordance with 19 and 20 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act and also in accordance with Clause 8 of the Policy Guidelines for Uplinking of Television Channels?

5. whether the respondent union failed to stop fake news and communal statements from being spread on social media websites?

 

The petition also pointed towards the dangerously communal terms coined and used by the news media as well as social media such as ‘corona jihad’, ‘corona terrorism’, ‘islamic Insurrection’, ‘corona bombs’.

The petition states that right before the COVID19 outbreak, Delhi was recovering from communal riots and hence it is important such communalization of news be stopped to save communal harmony in the country.

The petition has made only the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting as the respondents in this case and has urged that the court direct the government to take strict action as per the legal framework available with the state. The petition, however refrains from mentioning the names of news channels which have resorted to communalizing of the Tablighi Jamaat incident.

The petition can be read here.

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