CJP highlighted in its complaint that the show titled “Coffee Par Kurukshetra: यूपी में पत्थरबाजों की फौज कहां से आई? UP Bahraich Violence | CM Yogi”, was surrounding the ongoing tension erupted in Bahraich’s Maharajganj area in Uttar Pradesh.

As per CJP’s complaint to channel, the ‘Coffee Par Kurukshetra’ show on India Tv, host Sharma targeted the Muslim community, propagated anti-Islam theories and spread a divisive agenda. Based on the premise set through the details of multiple incidents across the country, chosen specifically to paint the Muslim community as aggressive, the impugned show begins. The participants present during the show were: Professor Sangeet Ragi (Professor, Political Science Delhi University, Pradeep Singh, Shantanu Gupta and the show began with host Saurav Sharma introducing the topic of Bahraich violence before the guests. The narrative consistently framed Muslims and Islamophobic propaganda in a way that reinforced negative stereotypes. Muslim majority areas were labelled as “sensitive” solely because of their demographic composition, fuelling a false narrative about the Muslim population, their festivals, and religious practices.

Further, the guests urged Hindus to oppose the Azaan and emphasizing exaggerated or imagined threats from the Muslim community, the narrative deepened divisions and heightened communal tensions. This deliberate framing contributed to a more polarized atmosphere, fostering mistrust and hostility between communities.

In complaint, CJP stated that “Professor Ragi’s remarks, invoking Maharshi Arvind to suggest that Hindus will eventually need to “take sticks and come out on the streets” to confront the “mind-set of Islam,” are profoundly dangerous. By portraying Muslims as enemies of the country and framing violence as an inevitable and even necessary response, Ragi is fuelling communal hatred and inciting potential violence.”

It was contention of the CJP that the host failed to intervene as participant Professor Sangeet Ragi made provocative statements intended to pit the Hindu community against the Muslim community. Instead of challenging these divisive remarks, host Saurav Sharma reinforced them by citing a Dainik Bhaskar report about a religious flag being hoisted in Amroha. Ragi immediately corrected him, stating that the flag had actually been raised on a temple, further spreading misinformation, as CJP highlighted in its complaint.

One panellist, Shantanu Gupta, also remarked during the show that“we are hearing Namaaz five times and what are we hearing in Namaaz five times, ‘Allah is the greatest no other god is worthy of worship’, which means no other god is worthy of worship. We are hearing this five times, and what are we saying, Mata ki Jai and in this we are not saying anything against anyone, but what are they saying in Azaan, ‘No other god is worthy of worship.”

CJP pleads in its complaint that Shantanu Gupta’s claims are not only false but also indicative of a broader misinformation campaign aimed at inciting communal tensions. His assertion that B.R. Ambedkar identified three specific reasons for conflict between Hindus and Muslims is misleading and taken out of context. Moreover, Gupta’s interpretation of Islamic practices, particularly the wording of the Azaan, is deeply flawed. The Azaan is a call to prayer that expresses the oneness of God, not a declaration of animosity towards other faiths. This misrepresentation distorts the essence of religious practices and fosters an unnecessary narrative of hostility. By framing the Azaan as inherently exclusive or provocative, Gupta perpetuates divisive stereotypes that further alienate communities and stoke fear.

CJP pointed out that this kind of rhetoric not only deepens divisions between communities but also legitimises vigilantism and mob justice under the guise of protecting Hindu interests. His suggestion that society will awaken and take matters into its own hands without reliance on political or organisational structures is a direct call for unchecked aggression, promoting an atmosphere where law and order are abandoned in favour of violent confrontation. Such statements are not just provocative but perilous, as they incite societal unrest, encourage hatred, and could lead to widespread violence against the Muslim community.

In complaint, CJP stressed that “According to the guidelines of the News Broadcasting Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA), hosts are expected to maintain neutrality and avoid favouring one community over another. However, this expectation was clearly not met. As evidenced by the videos and highlighted statements, both the host and participants seemed focused on questioning whether Hindus in India should “open their eyes” to the so-called “agenda of Muslims.” As an anchor of a news channel, which is supposed to uphold a neutral and unbiased theme, Sharma failed to introduce any non communal topics into the debate.”

CJP’s complaint to channel dated October 21, 2024 can be read here

Related:

CJP files complaint against Times Now Navbharat for communal bias in their news segment on the arrest of singer Altaf Hussain in Assam

CJP’s NBDSA Complaints 2023: A look at the repeated violation of ethics and guidelines by Indian television channels

Complaint filed against IndiaTV by CJP for stoking fear and spreading anti-Muslim propaganda under the guise of Bangladesh crisis

The post CJP files complaint against India TV’s anti-Muslim show appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Soon after Hasina had left the country, jubilant crowds waved flags and danced in front of cameras. Videos showing tens of thousands of people surrounding government offices and residences in the capital Dhaka started coming up on social media. People could be seen entering the official residence of ex-PM Hasina and stealing things from her house, which included fishes, utensils, clothes, etc. However, the celebratory protests also took a turn for the worst as videos of people vandalising an imposing statue of Hasina’s father, independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in Dhaka, attacking the head with an axe also emerged. In the days following the ouster of Hasina, multiple incidents of attacks on the Hindu minorities had also surfaced.

The complainant had raised the present complaint with the broadcaster as while it is understandable that the unpredictable situation prevailing in Bangladesh as well as the history of violence against minorities in the country would lead to people being apprehensive regarding the safety of Hindus and Christians, a false sense of panic was being created by certain people in India through propaganda that was contributing to the chaos. It is essential to highlight that even though the theme of the ‘Coffee Par Kurukshetra’ show on IndiaTV was to discuss the situation of Hindus in Bangladesh, the discussion kept diverting to the Muslims of India wanting to eradicate the Hindus in India so that they can convert India into an Islamic nation. In short, the discussion which could have been regarding ensuring protection of minorities in the neighbouring countries as well as in India was manipulated into spreading fear and causing alarm against the Muslim takeover of India.

The said “charcha”, of which Pradeep Singh, Supreme Court lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay and Shantanu Gupta were a part of, misused the activities taking place in Bangladesh to cause unrest in India and to build a narrative of an impending Muslim takeover of India. The host of the show Saurabh Sharma had repeatedly used the word “Jihadi” to denote the Bangladeshi Muslims, and encouraged the conspiracy theories of Muslims changing the demography of India to take over the country and make it an Islamic nation. Every opportunity was taken up by each of the speakers and the host to encourage misconceptions against Muslims, by speaking about the alleged agenda of “Ghazwa-E-Hind”, “Jihad”, “Madrasa”, “Shaheen Bagh”, and “Waqf Board”.

The complainant stated “It was their (the panel) case that the Muslims of India want to become the majority population of India through “forced religious conversions, population increase and illegal migration” to ensure that India goes through a similar situation as Bangladesh. It is ironic that such conversations took place in a show that was discussing the targeting of minorities in another country while indulging in peddling anti-Muslim sentiments in India.”

Additionally, the complaint highlights that not only had the speakers and the host selectively manipulated the crucial issue of Hindus and Christians being attacked in Bangladesh, they have also brushed off all the attempts made by Muslims of Bangladesh to come out in protection of the Hindu community.

The complaint states “IndiaTV did this, while wilfully choosing to ignore stellar examples of –in that critical period between August 5/6 and 9 when the new government took over—ordinary and organised Muslims stepping up to provide protection to isolated and insecure Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. It would have been especially apt and responsible for a television anchor running a show with such a wide reach to have done so, given the volatility of social relations across borders and within and between our communities in India –and given the fact that this reality is in no way alleviated by politicians who use such opportunities to stoke the fires of ill-will, for a television channel like IndiaTV to have portrayed this reality as well.”

Based on the extracts of the statements made by the speakers, the complaint states that the show appeared more like a one-sided show promoting the host’s take on the Bangladesh issue and agenda of the Indian Muslims to take over India and make it an Islamic nation or a religious/sectarian debate rather than a news room debate. Accordingly, it is the complaint’s case that the broadcasters violate the guidelines issued by the News Broadcasting Digital and Standards Authority (NBDSA) but also stands in violation of our constitutional principles.

The complete complaint can be read below:

Related:

Human Rights Watch reports that Modi made at least 110 Islamophobic remarks during 2024 election campaign

Bangladesh: Why Indian Muslims’ voice against anti-Hindu violence matters

Bangladesh Situation Tumultuous, But Does Not Signify Islamic Extremist Dominance

Chaos in Bangladesh provides opportunity to right-wing social media to spread misinformation regarding Hindus, temples being attacked in the country

The post CJP condemns IndiaTV for spreading communal misinformation through news segment on Bangladesh crisis, sends complaint appeared first on SabrangIndia.