"Pained" by NDTV show on "Hindu terror" &"Saffron terror": Sudarshan News tells SC that all laws will be followed in airing UPSC Jihad

The Editor-in-Chief of Sudarshan News, Suresh Chavhanke , has informed the Supreme Court by an additional affidavit that it would follow all laws while airing the remaining episodes of "UPSC Jihad" program and that it was pained by two NDTV shows around " Hindu and Saffron terror" .

. The affidavit filed through Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain states that the channel will " strictly comply with all laws while airing the remaining episodes of ‘Bindas Bol’ program series on the subject of UPSC Jihad ."

. However, Sudarshan News has stated that they were shocked and pained when on September 17, 2008, NDTV (English News Channel) had broadcast a programme anchored by Barkha Dutt titled as “‘Hindu Terror: Myth or fact?”

.Sudarshan TV moves Supreme Court seeking live telecast of case against it's UPSC Jihad program, says 'Sunlight is the best disinfectant'. In this programme, just adjacent to the programme caption i.e. “‘Hindu Terror: Myth or fact?”, a Hindu Saint was shown with ‘Tilak’ and ‘Chillam’ and also a ‘Trishul’ (one of most sacred symbols for Hindus and associated with most revered deity of the Hindus, ‘Lord Shiva’). reads the additional affidavit . Further the affidavit mentions that " NDTV had also broadcasted on August 26, 2010, a programme, again anchored by, Barkha Dutt titled as “Is ‘Saffron Terror’ real?” In the said programme, a Hindu cultural gathering was shown in Saffron colour clothes ."

. The additional affidavit came after the three-judge bench of Justices DY Chandrachud , KM Joseph and Indu Malhotra , gave an opportunity to the channel to chart out measures it would take so that the show does not stereotype a particular community and also let the bench know how it would not violate the program code.

.UPSC Coaching Centre for Muslims received donations from terrorism linked trusts and organizations: Sudarshan TV tells Supreme Court. Senior Advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for Sudarshan News on the earlier hearing had argued against a pre-broadcast ban, stating,

"Now that we have four episodes and that you have an advantage of an explanation via an affidavit, our show enters the realm of permissible speech and takes us out of the category of cases where pre-broadcast injunction should be ordered."

The Court was thus urged to allow the broadcast of the remaining six episodes of the series, with Divan contending that there is a robust statutory machinery to take care of complaints regarding defamation, untruth, etc.

. Justice Chandrachud had observed that while publication restraint is matter of extreme recourse, there are certain elements in the show that are problematic.

These included objectionable words like "namakharam" being used, and Muslims being stereotyped as having skull cap, beard and green clothing. He also referred to a portion where Chavhanke says, "see how they are getting foreign funds, enticing our wife's and daughters and doing love jihad."

The judge thus said,

"The issue is you implicate a whole community as taking over the civil services. This is the real issue. Whenever you show them joining civil services, you show ISIS. You want to say that Muslims joining civil services is a part of a deep-rooted conspiracy. Can the media be allowed to target whole sets of communities? "

.Issue is that you implicate a whole community as taking over the civil services, Supreme Court to Sudarshan TV in "UPSC Jihad" matter. The hearing will again resume on September 21, at 2 pm.

"Pained" by NDTV show on "Hindu terror" &"Saffron terror": Sudarshan News tells SC that all laws will be followed in airing UPSC Jihad

Debayan Roy

Related Stories