The News Broadcasting Authority (NBDSA) has fined news channels Times Now, Navbharat, News18, and Aaj Tak for airing programs that promote hatred and communal harmony. Also, it has ordered the removal of those programs from YouTube.
Times Now has been fined Rs. 1 lakh, while News 18 faces a fine of Rs. 50,000. Aaj Tak has received a warning. Retired Supreme Court judge AK Sikri, serving as NBDSA chief, has mandated the removal of online versions of hate and communal harmony programs aired by these three channels within seven days.
Social activist Indrajit Ghorpade had filed a complaint against the three channels for allegedly running communal and provocative programs. The complainant alleged that the three channels cited violations of the Code of Conduct and Broadcasting Standards regarding impartiality, objectivity, neutrality, and accuracy.
Presenter Himanshu Dixit on the Times Now channel has targeted Muslims as a community and termed inter-faith relations as ‘love jihad’. The NBDSA fined the channel, saying it would spread hatred against another community.
The organization was fined for three shows that were aired on News18 India. Out of those three shows, two are narrated by Aman Chopra and one by Amish Devgan. These demonstrations portrayed Shraddha Walker’s murder case as ‘Love Jihad’. Thus, Rs.50,000 Fined.
In a program presented by Sudhir Chowdhury on India Today Group’s Aaj Tak channel, violence was spread during Ramanavami by targeting a particular community. A warning has been issued to the channel regarding that program.
The NBDSA in its order has violated the guidelines related to banning hate speech. Mentions that communalism is included in the reporting of incidents.
