News18 India, Aaj Tak & Times Now Navbharat Penalised For Communal Programmes: ‘Every Inter-Faith Relationship Not Love Jihad’

New Delhi: Several TV news programmes across channels have been penalised for their role in spreading hatred and communal disharmony.

News Broadcasting & Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA), headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice AK Sikri, has fined Times Now Navbharat and News 18 India Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000, respectively, and also issued a warning to Aaj Tak.

Three channels have also been directed to remove online uploads of the offending programmes within seven days, reported Live Law.

Action was taken based on complaints lodged by activist Indrajeet Ghorpade.

Action was taken based on complaints lodged by activist Indrajeet Ghorpade, who cited violations of Code of Ethics & Broadcasting Standards vis-à-vis impartiality, objectivity, neutrality and accuracy.

Which Programmes Were Pulled UP?

* The regulatory body found Times Now Navbharat’s anchor Himanshu Dixit to have targeted the Muslim community and generalised inter-faith relationships as ‘love jihad’.

* News 18 India was found guilty vis-à-vis three shows — two anchored by Aman Chopra and one by Amish Devgan. The three shows were found to have communalised the Shradda Walker case as ‘love jihad.’

* NBDSA reprimanded Aaj Tak for a Sudhir Chaudhary-anchored programme which, it felt, generalised acts of violence during Ram Navami as targeting a particular community.