The directive was passed by Shafeeq Ahmed, Sub-Judge and Special Mobile Magistrate, Poonch, in response to an application filed by local advocate Sheikh Mohammad Saleem. As per the report in Bar&Bench, the complainant alleged that the media outlets, in a series of live broadcasts aired in May, wrongly identified Qari Mohammad Iqbal, a religious teacher at Jamia Zia-ul-Uloom, one of the most prominent Islamic seminaries in Poonch, as a “notorious Lashkar-e-Tayyeba commander” allegedly involved in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack.

Iqbal, who was killed on May 7 while out purchasing food supplies for his students, was among civilians who died during intense Pakistani shelling along the Line of Control. Despite his clear identity as a local religious figure and civilian casualty, the news channels broadcast his name, photograph, and a fabricated terrorist profile, falsely claiming that he was eliminated by Indian forces in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The court strongly rebuked the claim made by the Poonch police during the hearing that territorial jurisdiction did not lie with the local court since the broadcast originated from New Delhi. Citing Section 199 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, the Court held that when defamatory consequences occur at a location different from where the act originated, jurisdiction vests in both places. The Court emphasised that the reputational and emotional damage caused by the broadcast was suffered in Poonch, where the deceased lived, worked, and ultimately lost his life.

A case of journalistic irresponsibility and public harm

In scathing observations on the role of the media, the Court declared that the conduct of the news outlets amounted not only to defamation but also to a deliberate and dangerous act of public mischief and incitement. It held that the telecast violated multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including:

• Section 353(2) – Public mischief
• Section 356 – Defamation
• Section 196(1) – Promoting enmity between religious groups

In addition, the Court invoked Section 66 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 for the dishonest and misleading use of digital media.

While some channels issued public apologies after widespread outrage—including local protests and a J&K police advisory warning of legal action—the Court observed that “An apology may have mitigating value at the stage of sentencing but does not preclude the statutory duty of police to register an FIR once a cognizable offence is disclosed,” as per the report of The Wire. It further stressed that the press, while enjoying freedom under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, is bound by reasonable restrictions under Article 19(2), particularly in matters concerning defamation, public order, decency, and communal harmony.

“In the present act, the act of branding a deceased civilian teacher of a local religious seminary as a ‘Pakistani terrorist’ without any verification, particularly during a period of Indo-Pak hostilities cannot be dismissed as a mere journalistic lapse,” the court said, according to The Wire report.

Media conduct under scrutiny

The court emphasised that press freedom is not a license to defame, mislead, or cause harm. Media organisations, especially those with national reach, are constitutionally and ethically bound to ensure accuracy, fairness, and verification in their reporting—particularly in conflict zones like Jammu and Kashmir. The order noted that the coverage caused immense distress to the bereaved family, tarnished the reputation of the seminary, and inflamed religious sentiments within the local Muslim community.

The Station House Officer (SHO), Poonch Police Station, has been directed to register an FIR against the accused news networks and their editorial staff within seven days, and to submit a compliance and progress report to the court. The SHO has also been instructed to conduct a fair, impartial, and time-bound investigation, with a copy of the order being forwarded to the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Poonch for supervisory monitoring.

Public outrage and CJP complaint

The misleading reportage drew widespread condemnation from the local community in Poonch, many of whom personally knew Qari Iqbal and described him as a humble and well-regarded religious educator. Protests erupted after the false broadcast, prompting a rare advisory from the J&K police warning news channels against “unverified and inflammatory” reporting that disrespects the dead and incites communal tension.

In a related development, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) had also filed a detailed complaint with the broadcasting channels, on May 14, 2025, for broadcasting false and defamatory content during its coverage of Operation Sindoor. The complaint focused on News18’s segment aired on May 7, which falsely claimed that Maulana Qari Mohammad Iqbal, a religious scholar from Poonch, was a “top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander” killed in an Indian airstrike.

The broadcast, titled “India’s air strike Pakistan: Operation Sindoor में मारा गया आतंकी Mohammad Iqbal | India-Pak War”, referred to Iqbal—who had no criminal record or militant ties—as a “most-wanted terrorist” allegedly neutralised during military operations. CJP called the segment a gross act of defamation and dangerous communal profiling, especially given that the deceased was in fact a civilian teacher who had died in cross-border shelling.

In its complaint, CJP submitted verifiable evidence contradicting the false narrative, including public clarifications by the Poonch police, testimony from Iqbal’s family, and fact-checks from independent media outlets. The organisation pointed out that Iqbal was a teacher at Jamia Zia-ul-Uloom, a respected religious seminary in Jammu & Kashmir, and had no links to terrorism. His image, originally shared in a condolence message by the seminary’s administration, was misused by the channel in its coverage.

CJP cited the May 10, 2025 Alt News fact-check titled “His name was Qari Mohammad Iqbal. He was not a terrorist”, which established that the claims made by News18 were factually incorrect and defamatory. The fact-check also traced the image to social media tributes shared by family members, including Iqbal’s brother Qari Mohammad Farookh and brother-in-law Ishaq Khayan, who condemned the false reporting as a traumatic assault on the dignity of the deceased and his grieving family.

Calling the coverage an egregious example of Islamophobic misreporting, CJP demanded a formal on-air correction, public apology, and removal of the defamatory content from all digital platforms. The group noted that such broadcasts, made during a period of heightened Indo-Pak tensions, were not only unethical but posed serious risks to communal harmony, public order, and social trust.

CJP has also filed related complaints against five other national broadcasters—Aaj Tak, ABP News, Times Now Navbharat, NDTV, and India TV—for airing outdated foreign footage, falsely depicting it as real-time coverage of Indian military action under Operation Sindoor, thereby spreading misinformation and manufacturing a war narrative. Detailed report of the same may be read here.

Related:

CJP files complaint with six news channels for spreading misinformation, making false terror links: Operation Sindoor

Broadcasting Bias: CJP’s fight against hatred in Indian news

NBDSA cracks down on biased anchors: Orders content removal from Times Now Navbharat and Zee News based on CJP’s complaints

Holding power to account: CJP’s efforts to combat hate and polarisation

The post Poonch Court orders FIR against Zee News, News18 for falsely labelling deceased teacher as “Pakistani terrorist” during Operation Sindoor coverage appeared first on SabrangIndia.

According to CJP’s complaint, the broadcast in question by Zee News on March 16, 2025, titled “Taal Thok Ke LIVE: होली करेंगे ‘बदरंग’, ‘भाईजान’ कराएंगे सिर कलम! LIVE #WaqfvsHoli.” (Will they tarnish Holi… will ‘Bhaijaan’ have heads severed?) surrounded the call for protest against the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, announced by the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind earlier on March 13, 2025, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. It is important to mention that the date of the peaceful protest against the Bill was initially set for March 10, 2025, but later rescheduled to March 13 due to administrative reasons.

Subsequently, with the Holi festival on March 14, 2025, AIMPLB, in a press conference at the Press Club of India on March 11, 2025, decided to defer the March 13 protest and scheduled it for March 17, 2025.

The Anchor misrepresented the Waqf protest, fabricated it as a threat to the Holi festival

According to the CJP’s complaint to the channel on March 16, the program “Taal Thok Ke” systematically compromised journalistic integrity through its biased presentation and inflammatory discourse. Host Chandan Singh orchestrated a narrative that deliberately conflated a legitimate protest concerning the Waqf Amendment Bill with a fabricated threat to the Hindu festival of Holi. The program’s reliance on sensationalist tickers and unsubstantiated claims, coupled with the host’s selective questioning and interruptions, created a hostile environment that undermined the principles of fair debate.

CJP stated in its complaint that, Singh’s conduct throughout the broadcast demonstrated a calculated effort to manipulate the narrative. He repeatedly ignored factual clarifications regarding the protest’s rescheduling, instead opting to perpetuate a false narrative of deliberate disruption. His leading questions, such as “Is it normal to start the protest just one day before Holi? Is this a coincidence? Is there a plan behind this?” (Time Stamp: 03:40-03:59), were designed to provoke suspicion and reinforce a predetermined agenda.

Singh’s abrupt interruptions and dismissal of panellists’ explanations, particularly those attempting to provide context for the date changes, revealed a clear bias and a refusal to engage with factual information.

“Moreover, his active endorsement of panellists’ inflammatory statements, like Pawan Bansal’s claim of a “larger conspiracy to turn Holi into chaos” (Time Stamp: 04:55-05:22), further underscored his role in promoting a divisive and misleading narrative. We are complaining because of the host’s deliberate misrepresentation of facts, biased moderation, and the creation of an environment conducive to communal discord” as per complaint

Problematic and misleading tickers used by channel in the show

CJP pointed out in its complaint to channel that, the host aired tickers on the screen with inflammatory sub-titles such as, “शाहीन बाग वाली धमकी: सरकार वक्फ बिल वापस लें,” (Shaheen Bagh threat: Government should withdraw the Waqf bill) “CAA से बड़ा इंकलाब होगा,” (A bigger revolution than CAA will happen) “NRC से बड़ा विरोध होगा,” (There will be a bigger protest than NRC) “एक शाहीन बाग दिल्ली में था, गली गली में शाहीन बाग होगा.” (There was one Shaheen Bagh in Delhi, now every street will have a Shaheen Bagh)

As per the CJP’s complaint, the given tickers such as “वक्फ के नाम पर सिर कटा लेने की धमकी क्यों?”, (Why the threat of beheading in the name of Waqf?), “वक्फ संसोधन के खिलाफ प्रदर्शन होली से पहले क्यों?” (Why the protest against the Waqf amendment before Holi?), “वक्फ संसोधन बिल से मुस्लिमों को क्यों ऐतराज?” (Why do Muslims object to the Waqf amendment bill?), and “हर कानून के खिलाफ भीड़ जुटाने वाला षड्यंत्र कब तक?” (For how long will the conspiracy to gather crowds against every law continue?) are deeply problematic because they sensationalize and polarize an important issue without providing factual clarity or context.

These statements frame the topic in a way that stirs fear, outrage, and confusion among viewers, rather than promoting understanding. By focusing on inflammatory and leading questions, the show manipulates public perception, potentially inciting hatred.

Panellist Bansal threatens Rizvi, Host remains mute spectator

Further, as per the CJP’s complaint, during the show, while discussing the CAA/NRC, panellist Pawan Bansal openly threatened Rizvi over the Waqf protest, making violent remarks. Despite Rizvi objecting, the host remained silent and did not intervene. This silence was concerning as panellist Pawan Bansal openly threatened Rizvi regarding the Waqf protest, saying, “मैं कहता हूँ कि अगर होली के दिन उत्पात किया! मैं चैलेंज कर रहा हूँ अगर होली के दिन उत्पात किया, अगर होली के दिन उत्पात किया! समझ लेना बहुत बुरा हस्र होगा.”( I’m saying, if you create chaos on Holi! I’m challenging, if you create chaos on Holi, if you create chaos on Holi! Understand that the consequences will be very severe). 

When Rizvi objected, urging Bansal not to issue threats, the host, rather than stepping in, remained a mute spectator, failing to uphold any responsibility as a moderator.

This silence was particularly troubling because Rizvi is linked to a specific community and the Waqf Bill, making him a direct target of Bansal’s threats. Even after Rizvi voiced his opposition, Bansal repeated, “ये दुस्साहस मत करना, ये दुस्साहस मत करना,” (Don’t you dare do this, don’t you dare do this) and continued questioning the validity of the protest, saying, “क्यूँ प्रदर्शन कर रहे हैं, कानून में क्या कमी हैं? आप कितना भी कुछ कर लीजिये कानून बन कर रहेगा” (Why are you protesting, what is lacking in the law? No matter what you do, the law will be enacted). Despite these inflammatory remarks, the host did nothing to intervene, CJP stated in its complaint to channel

Notably, CJP strongly mentioned in its complaint that during the CAA/NRC protests, as the world witnessed, Shaheen Bagh became a symbol of peaceful resistance. The key fact here is that there was no violence reported at the Shaheen Bagh protest site in Delhi. However, the host in this debate show deliberately invoked the Shaheen Bagh reference in a conspiratorial context. The statement “जगह-जगह शाहीन बाग़ बना देंगे” (We will create Shaheen Bagh everywhere) was used to symbolically refer to organizing protests against the Waqf Bill, drawing a parallel with how Shaheen Bagh was organized during the CAA/NRC protests.

This was not an indication of any conspiracy but rather a reference to a form of peaceful protest that had already been part of India’s democratic tradition.

Violations of NBDSA principles, penal laws and Supreme Court judgements

The CJP, in its complaint, highlighted multiple violations of the NBDSA’s principles by the Zee News broadcast. The channel failed to adhere to Fundamental Principles of professional journalism, as outlined by the NBDSA. These include seeking truth, reporting with integrity, and avoiding bias in selecting news (Principles 1 and 4).

The program violated Principles of Self-Regulation, especially the duty to ensure neutrality and avoid portraying allegations as facts (Principle 2), and it also breached Racial and Religious Harmony guidelines by propagating content likely to incite religious intolerance (Principle 9). Additionally, the program disregarded the guidelines for Anchors conducting Programs, as it allowed inflammatory and divisive statements without intervention (Specific Guidelines for Anchors).

The channel also violated the Cable Television Network Rules (Rule 6), which prohibit content promoting communal attitudes or encouraging violence. The inflammatory content presented on the show amounted to hate speech, an offence punishable under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023 (BNS), sections 196, 298, 302, and 356, as it promoted enmity between communities and maligned religious beliefs.

Furthermore, the Supreme Court’s ruling in Amish Devgan vs. Union of India (2020) emphasized the need to address content that fosters divisiveness, and the Pravasi Bhalai Sangathan v. Union of India (2014) case clarified the damaging societal impact of hate speech. The actions of Zee News align with the concerns raised by the court in these cases, as the show perpetuated a narrative that undermines the unity and integrity of the nation. Given the impact of such content, CJP urges the channel to remove the offending material, issue an apology, and adopt more responsible reporting practices to ensure that divisive rhetoric does not continue to harm communal harmony.

CJP’s complaint to channel on March 16, 2025 may be accessed here:

Related:

Broadcasting Bias: CJP’s fight against hatred in Indian news

NBDSA cracks down on biased anchors: Orders content removal from Times Now Navbharat and Zee News based on CJP’s complaints

Holding power to account: CJP’s efforts to combat hate and polarisation

The post CJP urges Zee News remove debate show “Taal Thok Ke” over divisive Waqf-Holi debate appeared first on SabrangIndia.

In both cases, the NBDSA highlighted the anchors’ partisan conduct, accusing them of steering debates towards religious bias, amplifying communal tensions, and failing to moderate inflammatory statements by panellists. The authority found that these broadcasts violated the Code of Ethics and Specific Guidelines for Anchors, deeming their removal essential to mitigate the harmful impact of their content. These orders not only hold anchors accountable for their role in perpetuating polarising narratives but also emphasise the critical need for ethical and responsible journalism.

Order on complaint to Times Now Navbharat for giving Israel-Hamas conflict a communal colour during debates

Background of the complaint

On October 23, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) filed a complaint with Times Now Navbharat regarding two debate segments aired on October 16, 2023. The debates, titled “Modi के खिलाफ… क्यों खडे ‘हमास’ के साथ?” and “Rashtravad: हिंदुस्तान में ‘Hamas Think tank’ कौन बना रहा है?”, addressed the Israel-Hamas conflict but framed the issue in a communal and polarising manner. The debates portrayed Indian Muslims, opposition leaders, and leftist student organisations supporting Palestine as sympathisers of Hamas due to their “religious connection”. CJP highlighted how such broadcasts stigmatised Muslims and painted the Palestinian cause as a communal issue rather than one about life, liberty, and freedom from occupation.

The complaint noted that the anchors, Rakesh Pandey and Naina Yadav, adopted a partisan approach, posing biased and leading questions that portrayed the Muslim community and its leaders in a negative light. Pandey’s show suggested that Indian Muslims might support terrorism due to shared religious ties, while Yadav’s debate questioned whether opposition leaders were inciting support for Hamas in India. CJP argued that this rhetoric violated the NBDSA’s guidelines for neutrality and responsible reporting, contributing to a polarising environment and exacerbating communal tensions in India. Upon no satisfactory response from the broadcaster, the complaint was then escalated to the NBDSA on November 10, 2023.

Submissions by the complainants

1. Communal bias: The debates portrayed Indian Muslims supporting Palestine as being aligned with Hamas, despite no evidence to suggest such alignment.
2. Accusatory tone: Anchors framed polarising questions, such as “Will there be support for terrorism owing to the religious connection shared?” and accused opposition leaders of creating a “Hamas think tank” in India.
3. Unequal treatment: Panellists from opposition parties and Muslim backgrounds were treated with hostility, while ruling party representatives were given a platform to make communal diatribes unchallenged.
4. Misrepresentation: Clips of protests and statements supporting Palestine were selectively used to create suspicion, ignoring India’s official stance supporting a two-state solution.

The complainants cited Nilesh Navalakha v. Union of India to emphasise the duties of anchors in conducting fair and impartial debates.

Submissions by the broadcaster

1. Support for India’s stance: The broadcaster argued that the debates aligned with India’s position on the Israel-Palestine issue, which condemns Hamas while supporting a peaceful resolution.
2. No violation of guidelines: The broadcaster claimed that the debates merely questioned statements by political leaders perceived as opposing India’s stance.
3. Aggressive tone justified: It defended the tone as necessary for sensitive topics and asserted that annoyance or irritation caused to some viewers did not violate broadcasting norms.
4. Fair reporting: The debates, according to the broadcaster, provided viewers with accurate information and sought to uncover the motives behind statements made by certain political leaders.

Decision by the NBDSA

After reviewing the footage, arguments, and submissions, the NBDSA noted that while criticism of Hamas falls under freedom of expression, the impugned broadcasts went beyond this remit and violated the Code of Ethics and Broadcasting Standards.

Key findings in the order:

1. Communal colour: The NBDSA observed that the debates gave a communal tone to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Statements made by politicians in support of Palestine were conflated with support for Hamas. The debates also included biased and provocative questions such as, “Will there be support for terrorism owing to the religious connection shared?” and “Who is building the Hamas think tank in India?” These questions contributed to creating prejudice against a specific community.
2. Violation of anchor guidelines: The anchors failed to ensure impartiality. They permitted panellists, such as Mr. Shubham Tyagi, to make communal diatribes, and statements like comparing the Congress Party’s stance on Palestine to support for terrorist entities were not curtailed.
3. Targeting a community: The order noted that “the broadcaster exceeded the limits by targeting a particular community,” as evident in the framing of questions and the communal rhetoric during the debates.
4. Failure to provide balanced coverage: While the broadcaster claimed it was presenting India’s stance on the conflict, the NBDSA found that the anchors did not highlight India’s support for Palestine alongside its condemnation of Hamas, resulting in one-sided reporting.

Actions taken by the NBDSA:

The NBDSA concluded that the broadcaster’s failure to moderate the debates impartially and its communal portrayal of the Israel-Palestine conflict violated broadcasting standards. The decision underscores the importance of ensuring responsible journalism in sensitive discussions that can shape public opinion.

1. Warning issued: The NBDSA issued a formal warning to the broadcaster to adhere to the principles of neutrality and impartiality.
2. Removal of content: The broadcaster was directed to remove the videos of the said broadcasts from its website, YouTube, and any other digital platforms within seven days, confirming compliance in writing to the NBDSA.
3. Advisory for future broadcasts: The NBDSA advised the broadcaster to strictly follow the ‘Specific Guidelines for Anchors Conducting Programmes, Including Debates’ in future broadcasts, especially on sensitive topics.
4. Order dissemination: The NBDSA instructed the release of the order to the complainants, broadcaster, and media and its inclusion in its annual report.

The complete order may be read here.

Order on complaint to Zee News for communalising Budaun double murder case during debate

Background of the complaint

On March 27, 2024, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) lodged a detailed complaint with Zee Media Corporation Ltd. regarding a live debate segment aired on Zee News on March 20, 2024. The programme, titled “Debate on Budaun encounter LIVE: Encounter पर क्यों उठा रहे सवाल? Javed | Sajid | Breaking news,” focused on the Budaun double murder case, where a Muslim man was alleged to have murdered two Hindu children. The segment was broadcast repeatedly in a loop over 11 hours, amplifying its impact and raising concerns about a deliberate attempt to promote communal narratives. The actual panel discussion lasted over 35 minutes, during which the anchor and panellists were observed taking a problematic stance that injected a communal tone into an otherwise criminal case.

CJP’s complaint highlighted the derogatory and communal language used by the anchor, such as referring to the crime as a “Talibani style of murder,” which unnecessarily linked the incident to the religious identity of the accused. It argued that the show was structured to propagate a one-sided sectarian perspective, targeting the Muslim community as a whole. Muslim panellists were subjected to accusatory questioning and a polarised atmosphere, while Hindu participants were treated favourably. CJP also raised concerns about the psychological impact of repeatedly airing such biased content and demanded its removal from all platforms, along with a public apology from the broadcaster. Upon no satisfactory response from the broadcaster, the complaint was then escalated to the NBDSA on April 17, 2024.

Submissions by the complainant

1. Communalisation of the incident: The complainant stated that the debate focused on the religion of the victims and the accused, despite the police and the family confirming there was no religious motive.
2. Use of “Talibani-style murder”: The murder was repeatedly referred to as “Talibani-style” simply because the accused was Muslim and used a knife.
3. Inflammatory remarks by panellists: Communally inflammatory statements were made by panellists, including accusations about madrassas and claims that Muslims consider non-Muslims as “kaafirs.”
4. Discrimination against Muslim panellists: Muslim panellists were interrupted, accused of sympathising with the accused, and forced to apologise, while inflammatory statements by Hindu panellists went unchecked.
5. Diversion from extra-judicial killings: The anchor diverted attention from discussions on extra-judicial killings and accused Muslim panellists of sympathising with terrorists.
6. Anti-Muslim diatribe: Statements such as “Hindus should avoid Muslim barbers” were made during the debate, with the anchor justifying such remarks.
7. Violation of guidelines: The broadcast violated NBDSA guidelines by giving a communal colour to the incident and fostering religious hostility.

Submissions by the broadcaster

1. Purpose of the debate: The broadcaster argued the debate aimed to highlight the silence of politicians on the double murder.
2. Anchor’s neutrality: The anchor stated at the start of the debate that communal politics should not be part of the discussion.
3. Efforts to control panellists: The broadcaster claimed the anchor attempted to prevent panellists from digressing from the main topic.
4. Balance of representation: Religious leaders were invited to ensure a balanced discussion.
5. Use of “Talibani-style murder”: The term was used to reflect the brutality of the crime, not to reference religion.
6. Disclaimer: A disclaimer aired during the broadcast clarified that the views expressed by panellists were personal and not endorsed by the channel.

Decision of the NBDSA

After reviewing the footage, arguments, and submissions, the NBDSA noted that while the broadcaster had every right to question the silence of the politicians on such incidents which have the tendency to disturb the harmony in the society, the impugned broadcasts went beyond this remit and violated the Code of Ethics and Broadcasting Standards. The order stated that the anchor Merely because the suspect person belonged to a particular community, it was no reason to label the same as ‘Talibani-styled’ murder.

Key findings in the order:

1. Right to broadcast: The broadcaster had the right to discuss the incident and question politicians’ silence but failed to limit the debate to this aspect.
2. Communalisation of the incident: Labelling the murder as “Talibani-style” based solely on the religion of the accused gave the incident an unwarranted communal colour.
3. Violation of guidelines: The broadcast violated the Code of Ethics & Broadcasting Standards, Specific Guidelines for Anchors Conducting Programmes, and Guidelines to Prevent Communal Colour in Reporting Crime.
4. Failure to manage panellists: The anchor encouraged inflammatory rhetoric, allowed certain panellists to make derogatory statements unchecked, and failed to ensure fairness.
5. Disclaimers deemed inadequate: NBDSA held that disclaimers do not absolve broadcasters of responsibility for ensuring neutrality and adherence to guidelines.

Directions by NBDSA:

• Warning issued: The broadcaster was issued a warning for violating broadcasting guidelines.
• Removal of content: The broadcaster was directed to remove the broadcast from all platforms and confirm compliance within seven days.
• Circulation of the order: The order was to be shared with NBDA members, editors, and legal heads, hosted on the NBDSA website, included in the annual report, and released to the media.

The complete order may be read here.

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NBDSA orders mainstream news channels to remove shows, fines imposed

The post NBDSA holds biased anchors accountable: Orders removal of communal content from Times Now Navbharat and Zee News following CJP’s complaints appeared first on SabrangIndia.

In the detailed complaint, CJP has highlighted the problematic stance taken by the anchor while dealing with the said case wherein a man, who happened to be Muslim, had allegedly murdered two children, who happened to be Hindu, and given it a communal twist. It was argued by the complainant that the show had been designed in such a way that it gave a one-sided communal view of an issue that did not warrant for any such sectarian narrative.

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The complaint also states that “While the complainant surely acknowledges the heinous and brutal nature of the crime, we also wish to highlight the problematic statements made by the anchor throughout the coverage of the show. From using derogatory and stigmatizing phrases such as “Talibani style of murder”, the anchor has indulged in Muslim bashing throughout the half hour long show and tried to fan religion-based communal tensions.”

Including extracts from the shown wherein the anchor, Pradeep Bhandari can be observed dragging in the religious identities of both the accused and victims unnecessarily, the complaint included extracts from the show. It can be observed on watching that this tactic was utilised to bash the entire Muslim population. Even during the debate, the panellists of which were two Muslims and three Hindus, an intensely polarising environment was constantly created for the Muslim participants. As has been noted in CJP’s complaint, the anchor was even observed posing questions to the participants from the Muslim community on the debating panel in an accusatory manner, while an urbane and inclusive attitude was displayed towards participants from the majority Hindu community.

Moreoever, the complaint states “It is also essential to highlight here that every attempt made by senior lawyer Asghar Ali to shed light upon the laws governing encounter by police or the missing motive in this matter was deemed as sympathy for the Muslim accused by the panellist, and even the whole Muslim community. The anchor, who brought in many previous instances of bomb blasts and legal counsels defending those accused, conveniently forgot the right to a legal counsel and defence that every accused/incarcerated has been guaranteed by Indian laws.”

The complaint further also pointed out that the same 35-minutes debate was played in a loop and turned into an 11-hour coverage, resulting in an even higher potential of generating bias, even hatred as repetitious such coverage is known psychologically to have this impact on the viewer. With this, the complainant has urged the broadcaster to remove the above-mentioned content from all social media accounts of Zee’s channel and issue a public apology for the communal reportage.

Notably, the broadcaster has till April 3, 2024 to respond to our complaint. In case the broadcaster fails to reply to our complaint or the complainant is not satisfied with the reply, the said complaint will be escalated to the News Broadcasting Digital and Standards Authority (NBDSA).

The complete complaint can be read here:

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The post Budaun Double murder case communalised by Zee News during its debate segment, CJP sends complaint appeared first on SabrangIndia.

A huge political scandal erupted around the Udaipur beheading case, after television news channel Zee news on July 1, 2022, aired a doctored video of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi seemingly supporting the killers. The news channel apologised for its blunder and sacked two staffers but the party already approached the National Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) on July 6 say news reports.

According to Congress MLA Devendra Yadav, the original video shows Gandhi reacting to the vandalism of the party’s Wayanad office allegedly by SFI activists. The leader said the vandals were children and bore them no ill-will. These lines were corrupted in the Zee News version to falsely imply that Gandhi was forgiving killers of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal.

For this reason, Yadav filed a complaint against Zee News anchor Rohit Ranjan and others at Zee News July 3 at the Civil Lines Police station in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, said the New Indian Express. He accused the channel of promoting enmity between different groups and outraging religious feelings of people.

Further, he accused the director and chairman of the channel and its chief executive officer of conspiring to spread fake news against Gandhi to incite communal riots. As such, Ranjan and others were booked under sections of deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class, forgery to harm reputation and intentional insult with intent to disrupt peace among others.

Then on July 6, Deccan Herald reported how the political party approached the NBDSA for the channel’s ‘DNA’ programme that showed an “illegal, unethical and malicious” report.

As per latest updates, The New India Express reported that the channel has lodged a complaint which said its senior producer Narinder Singh and trainee producer Bikash Kumar Jha received the video and allegedly caused the byte mix-up. The two were sacked for “knowingly and intentionally” creating that “mischief”.

Meanwhile, Ranjan faces more FIRs from the Bilaspur police station in Chhattisgarh police that also names five BJP leaders, the Noida police and the Ghaziabad police. He was initially arrested by the Noida police but then released on bail. The Chhattisgarh police claimed the Noida police obstructed the arrest procedure by taking Ranjan with them. Since then, Ranjan has been absconding although he apologised for the blunder on July 2.

“On July 1, in our show DNA, Rahul Gandhi’s statement was taken in the wrong context by linking it to the Udaipur incident, it was a human error for which our team is apologetic, we apologize for it,” said Ranjan in a Hindi tweet.

कल हमारे शो DNA में राहुल गांधी का बयान उदयपुर की घटना से जोड़ कर ग़लत संदर्भ में चल गया था, ये एक मानवीय भूल थी जिसके लिए हमारी टीम क्षमाप्रार्थी हैं, हम इसके लिए खेद जताते हैं pic.twitter.com/YGs7kfbKKi

— Rohit Ranjan (@irohitr) July 2, 2022

Further, the anchor approached the Supreme Court seeking protection from coercive action. The matter was listed to be heard on July 7 but is pending assignment by the Chief Justice of India.

Both supporters and critics of the TV channel have criticised the administrative move to arrest a news anchor for “misquoting” a political party leader.

Hearing that Rohit @irohitr has now been arrested after Congress workers protested, even burnt his effigy in response to his misquoting Rahul Gandhi, for which he had already apologised on air.

If journalists got arrested every time they misquoted Modi, there’d be none left. pic.twitter.com/LVxR3SYv54

— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) July 5, 2022

We are no fans of @ZeeNews, they need to be called out & shamed daily for the ‘journalism’ they claim to do.
However arresting #Rohitranjan in this brazen manner does not solve anything – especially AFTER he explicitly apologised for the error within 24 hours
Get the bigger fish. https://t.co/QiLMDffxCf

— The DeshBhakt ?? (@TheDeshBhakt) July 5, 2022

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Teesta Setalvad’s arrest shows how our rights are being trampled upon: Rights groups
Alt New denies allegations of foreign funding
A week in the life of human rights defender Teesta Setalvad

The post Zee News faces flak for allegedly airing Rahul Gandhi’s doctored byte appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Zee News is in the dock yet again, this time for its coverage of the farmers’ protest, specifically the coverage in the run up to the tractor rally that was being planned by farmers for Republic Day.

The National Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) has found that the channel was in “clear violation of the Code of Ethics and Broadcasting Standards and Specific Guideline Covering Reportage, Fundamental Standards and Guidelines 1 and 2” in case of two shows aired before Republic Day.

This was in response to a complaint by one Mr. Indrajeet Ghorpade, who drew attention to the two shows by Zee News:

· Tal Thok Ke: Khalistan se kab saawdhan hoga Kisan (aired on January 19, 2021)

· Tal Thok Ke: Nahi mane Kisan toh kya Republic Day par hoga ‘Grihyuddh’? (aired January 20, 2021)

The complainant had highlighted how the reportage had violated guidelines that prohibit channels from crating “panic, distress or undue fear”, mixing facts with “opinion, analysis or comment”, or “giving undue prominence to any particular view”. Further the complainant stated that in both programmes, unverified videos from social media, showing tractors with modification, were aired.

But what was perhaps most shocking was the blatant use of captions like:

·  War against the Republic

·  Civil War on Republic Day

·  Tractor March or War

·  Tractors are modified into armoured vehicles

·  Conspiracy of a War against the Republic

·  Khalistan Dominates the Protest

·  When will the farmer become more careful about Khalistan?

All of these and many more captions were found by the NBDSA to be in “clear violation of the Code of Ethics and Broadcasting Standards and Specific Guideline Covering Reportage, Fundamental Standards and Guidelines 1 and 2.”

The NBDSA also expressed its “disapproval to the broadcaster on the use of the aforementioned Headlines/Taglines and decided to issue Specific Guidelines relating to broadcast/publishing of Taglines, Hashtags and use of Images/Photographs. It further directed Zee News to take down the videos of the aforementioned broadcast and confirm the same in writing to it in 7 days.

The complete order may be read here: 

Related:

Kisan Ganatantra Parade: How the mainstream media deliberately ignored ground realities

A glance at the nationwide Kisan Ganatantra Parade

Anti-social elements infiltrated Parade to discredit farmers struggle: SKM

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The humanitarian crisis unfolding in Afghanistan has sent shockwaves all over the world. With the Taliban capturing Kabul, thousands of people are trying to flee their homeland, in a bid to escape from the totalitarian regime. The chilling video of people falling off the United States Air Force plane seems to have shaken the conscience of the world.

However, taking advantage of this devastation, Zee’s DNA News has published a sarcastic piece offering an ‘Afghanistan Tour Package’, to the so called “Tukde-tukde gang”, a common pejorative for liberals and intellectuals. The piece accuses them of supporting the Taliban rule in Afghanistan and applauding its victory.  

The publication referred to the statement allegedly made by Shafiqur Rahman Burke, a member of the Samajwadi Party, who said that the Taliban fought in the same way as the revolutionaries of our country fought the British for freedom. As per media reports, he has booked under sections 124A (Sedition), 153A (promoting enmity amongst groups of people on the basis of religion, sex, caste, race, etc) of the Indian Penal Code.

The infamous “Go to Pakistan” can soon be replaced with “Go to Afghanistan” with the DNA article reading, “These people will also get a chance to do a lot of adventure activities in Kabul during this time. If they want, they can hang from flying planes, do rope climbing to enter the airport. Children can swing with Taliban fighters in Theme Park, drive a bumping car, trek through the Hindukush mountains where the Taliban shed the blood of minorities and is still occupied by it. Burqa and hijab shops are very crowded these days in Kabul because with the arrival of the Taliban, the burqa has become mandatory for the women there. If these people want, they can go to Kabul and shop from these shops.”

Referring to liberals as ‘these people’, the article says that they don’t believe in democracy. The DNA News piece says that they could go to the Parliament in Kabul, have dinner with the Taliban leaders and members and go to theme parks with them!

Sudhir Chaudhary, the Editor-in-chief of Zee, who is known for anchoring the DNA (Daily news and analysis) show, has also tweeted a few names, asking them to go to Afghanistan including young women activists like Richa Singh and Gurmehar Kaur.

After the Taliban Spokesperson delivered their first news conference since seizing control of Afghanistan on August 17, several netizens took to Twitter to point out that even a military organisation takes questions from the press, but not the Indian Prime Minister. But this narrative has been falsely twisted by Chaudhary on social media insinuating that some selective people support the Taliban.

Some people in India are celebrating Taliban 2.0, their liberal policies on free press and women. They should go and spend sometime in Afghanistan.

कुछ दिन तो गुज़ारिए #Afghanistan में pic.twitter.com/CPxk58N31g

— Sudhir Chaudhary (@sudhirchaudhary) August 18, 2021

The news article also says that the liberals should go to Afghanistan and think of ways to spread hate. Amid such heightened fears and issues of grave human rights violations, Zee News is back to spewing hate, misinformation and diverting people’s attention from the primary problem.

Concluding with a snide remark, the article draws parallels with the people who unfortunately hung on to the plane wheels to escape the Taliban, by saying that the liberal gang who go to Afghanistan will eventually feel suffocated and fear for their lives, and it will be at that stage when the Indian government will valiantly rescue them without letting them to cling on to the wheels of the plane.

Related:

Hell on Earth
Afghanistan Crisis: What is India’s plan of action?
Afghan President flees as Taliban enters Kabul
Afghan crisis: Women, activists demand immediate ceasefire, protection for civilians
Will Taliban takeover of Afghanistan be used to attack Indian Muslims?

The post Zee proposes “Afghanistan Tour Package” for “Tukde-tukde gang” appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) has filed a complaint with the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) against Zee News’ debate programme ‘Taal Thok Ke’, which used the offensive slogan “Kudrat ek bahana hai, Muslim abaadi badhana hai?” (Translation: Nature is just an excuse, the motive is to increase Muslim Population?), that aired on June 27, 2021. 

According to the NBSA regulations, CJP first wrote to the channel on July 3, urging them to remove the show from all digital platforms and tender a public apology for their misinformed reportage. Having received no response from them, CJP approached the NBSA for action.

At the time when the show was aired, the Uttar Pradesh government had not come out with the draft bill of the proposed law pertaining to population control. Zee News’ show focused on how the Uttar Pradesh government was mulling over a potential population control law, and emphasised on the statement made by Samajwadi Party MP Shafiqur Rahman who said that children are “Nizaam-e-Kudrat” (part of the system of nature) and that nobody has a right to interfere with that.

CJP has stated that the entire show which is barely a debate and more a shrill exercise in heightening hyperbole and volume, insinuates that there is only one particular minority community behind India’s backwardness and illiteracy. Mohsin Raza, an Uttar Pradesh minister, part of the panel, said that BJP is a party for the ‘Bhartiya Janta’ (Indian population) and that they are samarpit (dedicated) to the country, working for their nation, taking a dig at the spokesperson from the Samajwadi Party, Anurag Bhadauriya, who was against giving a communal angle to the story and instead brought up issues like Covid-19 deaths, inflation and rising unemployment.

The complaint reads, “Moreover, it needs to be stated that every segment of society, in India or the world, surely has persons with different views: cherry picking from these and using the media to generate a stereotype is certainly not a responsible act from a media house.”

The topic of the show suddenly drifted towards terrorism. Mohsin Raza said that the Samajwadi Party and its supporters don’t have a problem with forceful conversions and instead glorify terrorism. CJP has alleged that the channel allowed such statements to be spoken unabated without any verification.

CJP has also stated that misinformed and offensive taglines were run throughout the show. At some point in the show, the host Ms. Aditi Tyagi did ask questions about why a religious angle has been given to the potential population control law, but on the other hand taglines concerning only Muslim population was flashed on the TV screens of all viewers. Some examples are:

-Hum do humare do par mazhabiru kawat kyun? (Translation: Why a religious angle/barrier to the two-child policy?)

-Nizam-e-kudratya Hindustan par aafat? (Translation: System of nature or a disaster upon India?)

-Kudrat bahana hai, Muslim abaadi badhana hai? (Translation: Is nature just an excuse, motive is to increase the Muslim population?)

CJP’s complaint also mentions that on several occasions, it showed visuals of crowded areas only inhabited by Muslims. It reads, “Such images of areas crowded by only Muslim people clearly displays the intention of the channel that just wanted to regurgitate the ‘Hindu-Muslim narrative’ and divert from the real issues of Covid-19 and the slowing economy. Such themes also tend to perpetuate the myths pertaining to the Muslim population and falsefully glorifies the Muslim population explosion narrative that compels people to believe that Muslims intend to do anything to increase the population of their community to dominate India.”

The show, even though it raised questions about why religion should be factored on a discussion around population, (the topic), actually ends up doing the exact same thing. CJP states that the name of the show “Nature is just an excuse, the motive is to increase Muslim Population?” is sufficient to indicate that this show was aired to target only a particular community and push a majoritarian agenda.

We have also referred to some facts about population explosion in India which have been articulated in a book by Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), SY Quraishi, called “The population Myth-Islam, Family Planning and Politics in India”. The Book states that family planning acceptance is also dependent on delivery of health services to the communities and individuals in question where Muslims are lagging. According to NFHS-4 data, only 77 percent of Muslims women in the age group of 15-49 has received antenatal care from a skilled provider, which is the lowest among all religious groups. They also lag behind in accessing delivery services at healthcare facilities and receiving advice on family planning from community health workers. This results in lower acceptance of family practices by the community.

Further, CJP has listed down the various violations of NBSA rules and the Indian Penal Code against the show and the channel that perpetuates hate against a particular community. It has thus requested the NBSA to take cognisance of the complaint and direct Zee News to remove such content from all their digital accounts and tender a public apology on its channel.

The entire complaint may be read here:

Related:

CJP writes to Zee News over their Population Politics show
CJP moves NBSA over Zee’s ‘Vaccine Jihad’ show
NBSA acts on CJP’s complaint against Zee News report on ‘Zameen Jihad’

The post CJP moves NBSA against Zee News’ ‘Population Control’ show appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), has sent a complaint to Zee News for their unverified and misleading live debate programme called Kudrat ek bahana hai, Muslim abaadi badhana hai? (Nature is just an excuse, the motive is to increase Muslim Population?) that aired on June 27, 2021. The show focused on how the Uttar Pradesh government is mulling over a potential population control law, and ran taglines, displayed pictures that hinted at the Muslim Population explosion narrative.

The debate programme on this topic, emphasised on the statement made by Samajwadi Party MP Shafiqur Rahman who said that Children are “Nizaam-e-Kudrat” (part of the system of nature) and that nobody has a right to interfere with that. The complaint mentions how the entire show which is barely a debate and more a shrill exercise in heightening hyperbole and volume, insinuates that there is only one particular minority community behind India’s backwardness and illiteracy.

Anurag Bhadauriya, one of the panelists who was against giving a communal angle to the story and instead brought up issues like Covid-19 deaths, inflation and rising unemployment, was constantly cut off by the show’s anchor, Aditi Tyagi, who kept playing the statement made by Shafiqur Rahman about how nobody has the right to interfere with someone’s decision to reproduce. The complaint reads, “The debate was about how Shafiqur could make such a statement and nothing about the expected population control bill and the provisions it would entail. Moreover, it needs to be stated that every segment of society, in India or the world, surely has persons with different views: cherry picking from these and using the media to generate a stereotype is certainly not a responsible act from a media house.”

CJP’s complaint also states how during the debate, Zee News’ Taal Thok Ke show tried to portray that it was against the idea of giving this discussion on population control a religious angle but ended up doing the exact same thing. It was astonishing to see that throughout the show, on several occasions, visuals of crowded areas only inhabited by Muslims were shown. “Such images of areas crowded by only Muslim people clearly displays the intention of the channel that just wanted to regurgitate the ‘Hindu-Muslim narrative’ and divert from the real issues of Covid-19 and the slowing economy. Such themes also tend to perpetuate the myths pertaining to the Muslim population and falsefully glorifies the Muslim population explosion narrative that compels people to believe that Muslims intend to do anything to increase the population of their community to dominate India”, read CJP’s complaint.

CJP also stated how the host kept questioning through the show why population is a religious issue and on the other hand, ran taglines like “Kudrat bahana hai, muslim abaadi badhana hai?” (is nature just an excuse, motive is to increase the Muslim population?), “Nizam-e-kudratya Hindustan par aafat?” (system of nature or a disaster upon India?). It seemed like the show tried to create rhetoric that did not exist, and it was also ironic how the channel created a communal narrative on the show and then questioned why such a narrative exists.

The complaint also refers to Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), SY Quraishi’s book, The population Myth-Islam, Family Planning and Politics in India (Author: S. Y.Quraishi, Publication: HarperCollins Publishers India, 2021), to understand the availability of health infrastructure and services as important factors that reflect population. Recent statistics by NFHS-4 data states how Muslims lag behind in accessing delivery services at healthcare facilities and receiving advice on family planning from community health workers.

Lastly, CJP has humbly requested the channel to remove the show from all digital platforms and tender a public apology for their misinformed reportage.

The entire complaint may be read here:

Related:

CJP writes to Zee Media against their “Vaccine Jihad” show
CJP moves NBSA over Zee’s ‘Vaccine Jihad’ show

The post CJP complains to Zee News against a debate programme about Population Control appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) has filed a complaint with the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) against Zee Media’s channel Zee Hindustan, that aired a show about a so-called big revelation that involved “Vaccine jihad” in the country. The show’s content was about a Muslim auxiliary nurse midwife who allegedly wasted vaccine syringes by not administering it to the beneficiaries, insinuating that this is part of a bigger conspiracy against the country and its people, and that there could be involvement of some terrorist organisation.

On June 4, CJP had written to the broadcaster as per the NBSA guidelines but since it did not receive any response from them, the organisation approached NBSA for action. The show aired on May 30 presented a video that showed one Niha Khan to have wasted around 29 syringes by inserting it into people’s arms but not administering it and disposing it. The hosts of the show constantly used offensive and discriminatory terminology to give the alleged incident a communal angle. Some examples are:

• Saazish ki sanak ya mazhabi junoon (Conspiracy or religious fanaticism?)
• Nurse ki toolkit me kitni jihadan? (How many “jihadis” in Nurse’s toolkit?)
• Yogi ki UP me Vaccine Jihad (Vaccine Jihad in Yogi’s UP)
• Kattarpanthiyo kab muh kohloge (When will fanatics speak up?)
• Vaccine jihad case me karyawahi (Investigation on in Vaccine jihad case)
• Nurse niha khan chahti thi ki corona faile aur halaat bigde (Nurse Niha Khan wanted Corona(virus) to spread and for situation to get worse)

CJP, in its complaint to NBSA dated June 23, has stated that this video of a woman disposing of the syringe without administering has been fact checked by fact checker news portal Alt News. This video turned out to be originally from Ecuador where it was tweeted by an Ecuadorian national on April 25. The Ministry of Health of Ecuador even issued a press release on the matter accepting that the said incident in the video took place at a vaccination centre in Mucho Lote in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

The correspondent of the show casually stated that this incident should be investigated by the Anti- terrorist Squad and mentions the name of one Dr. Afreen who is believed to be involved in this incident. Dhoka (cheating), saazish (conspiracy) are other such terms that have been repeatedly used throughout the show to vilify the minority community. CJP has attached the clip of the show with its complaint for NBSA’s perusal.

The complaint mentions that using terms like “vaccine jihad” and flashing it on the screen throughout the show in big fonts, shows the malafide intentions of the channel and the host and exposes the propaganda of spreading hatred and vilifying the Muslim community at large. It also states that the communal angle played out quite brazenly through the entire show. “As bad or worse, the panic that was being created by the hosts could feed into the low awareness about the vaccine and the vaccine hesitancy in remote rural areas or even small towns. Worse still, by targeting a young woman professional by name they have put at risk both her professional work and in a sense also opened up the possibility of a threat to her person,” reads the complaint.

Further, the complaint lists down the various violations of NBSA rules and the Indian Penal Code against the show and the channel that perpetuates hate and ostracisation against the already marginalised community in our society.

It has requested the NBSA to take cognisance of the complaint and direct Zee Media to remove such content from all their digital accounts and also tender a public apology on its channel for promoting enmity and hurting the sentiments of a certain community.

The complaint may be read here: 

Related:

CJP writes to Zee Media against their “Vaccine Jihad” show
NBSA acts on CJP’s complaint against Zee News report on ‘Zameen Jihad’
Times Now’s vilification of Teesta Setalvad: NBSA to hold hearing

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