NBDSA cautions NDTV over use of 'jihad' to link spitting incident to Muslim community

The News Broadcasting & Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) recently cautioned NDTV for using the term “jihad” in a generalised and stereotypical manner implicitly linking an incident of spitting on food to the entire Muslim community.

The complaint arose from a December 2024 broadcast on a viral video from Meerut showing a person preparing rotis while spitting on them. The report described the incident using the phrase “thook (spit) jihad” and allegedly suggested that similar acts were being reported from multiple places.

In the order dated May 19, NBDSA Chairperson Justice AK Sikri held that while the underlying incident was serious and warranted coverage, the issue lay in how the incident was characterised and contextualised by the channel.

“The sweeping generalization of this incident as 'thook jihad' and the suggestion that this was not an isolated incident, but was a widespread occurrence, without substantiating the same, amounted to a violation of the Code of Conduct, particularly broadcaster's guidelines against Racial and Religious Stereotyping,” held the NBDSA.

The complainant, advocate Utkarsh Mishra, had argued that the use of the term “jihad” and the suggestion of a wider pattern by the news channel gave a communal colour to an isolated act and violated guidelines against hate speech and communal reporting.

The NBDSA also noted the complainant’s contention that the broadcast included an interview of the accused conducted by a private individual, which was presented as a police inquiry. It further recorded the allegation that the version aired was incomplete.

Responding to the complaint, NDTV submitted that its coverage was focused on public health, food hygiene and anti-social behaviour. It contended the broadcast was based on material already available in the public domain.

NDTV maintained that the phrase "jihad" reflected ongoing public discourse and was not intended to attribute the act to any particular community. It also argued that it had voluntarily removed the content.

The NBDSA rejected the contention by NDTV that it had not referred to any specific community. The authority said the terminology itself carried implicit meaning.

“It was the assertion that it did not refer to any specific community in its coverage term of the incident. However, even in the absence of explicit attribution, the use of the "jihad" in the report referred to a particular community," the NBDSA noted.

In view of the fact that the TV channel had already removed the broadcast, the NBDSA ultimately decided against imposing any penalty and instead issued a caution.

“In view of the action taken by the broadcaster, NBDSA decided to close the complaint by cautioning the broadcaster to be careful in principles the future and to avoid such sweeping generalisations, consistent with the of the Code of Conduct.”

[Read Order]