Suresh Chavhanke back on the derailed “UPSC Jihad” fake news train? 

Sudarshan News, appears to have resumed its amplification of fake news, especially if it can be used by its followers in the right-wing ecosystem to target Muslims. This time, Suresh Chavhanke and his channel targetted Jamtara District Collector Faiz AK Ahmed Mumtaz accusing him of not saluting the national Flag on Republic Day. 

Chavhanke called it “#UPSC_जिहाद” a term he has invested to ‘accuse’ Muslims of joining the civil services after clearing competitive exams. Chavhanke, who claims to be a journalist, alleged that DC Mumtaz had “insulted” Republic Day.

The DC himself simply put out the official rule on saluting the National Flag which states, “During the ceremony of hoisting or lowering the Flag or when the Flag is passing in a parade or in a review, all persons present should face the Flag and stand at attention. Those present in uniform should render the appropriate salute. When the Flag is in a moving column, persons present will stand at attention or salute as the Flag passes them. A dignitary may take the salute without a head dress.” The DC was seen following this rule in the video clip the right wing channel had shared in its tweet.

On Wednesday, Republic Day celebrations were organised in the entire district. The national flag was hoisted in ceremonies at all government and non-government institutions, reported the Jagran. The main function was organised at Jamtara Gandhi Maidan where DC Faiz Ak Ahmed Mumtaz hoisted the flag and saluted the Tricolor, he had also inspected the parade with SP Deepak Kumar Sinha and took the salute, stated the news reports. DC Mumtaz had then addressed the gathering and highlighted the History of January 26, 1950. He also spoke highly of works and achievements done by the district administration as well as the state government. 

According to the news report, apart from this, DC Faiz Ak Ahmed Mumtaz, SP Deepak Kumar Sinha, Dy DC Anilson Lakra, SDO Sanjay Pandey, and other officers also took part at flag hoisting ceremony maintaining the Covid protocol.

This incident was similar to the one in 2015 when Vice-president Hamid Ansari’s office had to issue a statement after he was viciously attacked on social media for not saluting the Tricolour while the national anthem was being played during the Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi. Social media had accused Ansari of “breaching protocol by not saluting the flag”. However, the vice-president’s office had clarified, “As per the protocol, when the national anthem is played, the principal dignitary and persons in uniform take the salute. Those in civil dress stand in attention. During the Republic Day Parade, the President of India, as Supreme Commander, takes the salute. As per protocol, the vice-president is required to stand in attention. When the vice president is the principal dignitary, he salutes during the national anthem, wearing a headgear, as done at NCC camp this year.”

However, historical facts as aways do not matter to Chavhanke and company whose diatribe on ‘UPSC Jihad’ was pulled up by the Supreme Court in September 2020. The Court called show content ‘insidious’. Chavhanke had on his show called “Bindaas Bol” titled a series “Naukarshahi me Muslamano ki Ghuspaith ke shadyantra ka bada khulasa” (The conspiracy behind Muslim infiltration in UPSC – The Big Reveal).

Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) was the first organisation to act and file a complaint with the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) when the promotional video for the show Bindass Bol had first emerged. CJP complained against the deeply communal content of the promotional video of the show on ‘UPSC Jihad’, where the channel’s Editor-in-Chief Suresh Chavhanke alleged a conspiracy by Muslims to take over civil services in India. But NBSA forwarded our complaint to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) stating that since Sudarshan News was not a part of the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) the NBSA could not take action against it. The MIB had cautioned Sudarshan TV against the contents of its ‘UPSC Jihad’ show and ordered that in case of any further violation stricter penal action would be taken.

However, Chavhanke has continued to make communaly coloured programmes and posting communal tweets, such as the one he did showing a video where over two dozen boys and girls, many dressed in their school uniform of maroon blazer or sweater, maroon trousers and white shirt, some in casual wear, pledging to “fight, die and kill” to create a “Hindu Rashtra”. The kids extended their right arm forward and in Hindi said, “We give our word, we pledge to fight, die and kill, if necessary, and be ready for any sacrifice till the last moment of our lives to make this country a Hindu Rashtra and take it forward at any cost. We shall not step back even for a moment. May our Gurudev, our Kul Devata (family god), our Gram Devata (village god), our ancestors and Bharat Mata give us strength and victory.” 

Meanwhile in Sikandrabad, Lakhimpur Kheri, when Republic Day was being celebrated in Jamauhra village of police station Nimgaon area, some people allegedly took down the Tricolour and hoisted a flag related to Buddhism at the Dr. Ambedkar Community Health Center. Police arrested the two accused, and registered a case against four for insulting the national Flag. According to news reports the Inspector-in-Charge Rajkaran Sharma also re-installed the Tricolour. Those arrested in the case, have been identified as Virendra and Subhash and the other two are Rampal and Manoj all of whom have been charged under various sections of the law, reported Amar Ujala.

Related:

Hate watch: TN Police debunk Sudarshan TV’s communal ‘Fake News’

UPSC Jihad show offensive, promotes communal attitude: I&B Ministry

SC cuts short Sudarshan News’s diatribe on ‘UPSC Jihad’

Court calls show content ‘insidious’, ponders committee to monitor TV news standards