Gulf News in its editorial, calls for action against "preachers of hate" in the Indian media
The story was first published by newslaundry.com (read the original post by clicking here.)
Dubai-based Gulf News, a leading daily newspaper, printed an editorial yesterday saying that "toxic" Indian TV news channels should not be allowed to "spread Islamophobia and vitiate atmosphere".
Headlined "Stop Indian media from exporting hate to Gulf", the piece said there have been several instances of Indian expats in the UAE being "terminated by employers after they posted abusive content on social media" or "called out for hatred and religious discrimination".
Last month, prominent Arab personalities had reacted to racism and bigotry displayed by Indians living in the Middle East.
The piece continued: "But the bigger question is why long-term residents who are familiar with local laws and sensitivities are posting such abusive content on social media? The culprit is Indian media, specifically some news channels which are exporting the narrative of hate against Muslims from India to the Gulf countries."
The piece said it's "well-known" that "popular channels twist news and build fake narratives to target Muslims in India". For example, "media watchdogs have pointed out fake news of Muslims spitting on fruits to spread Coronavirus. This fake news was repeated on some news channels until people actually started believing it...This hateful content on prime time reaches Gulf countries, including the UAE where these channels are widely available."
Newslaundry had reported on this specific form of prejudice, of the coronavirus-positive Muslim fruit vendor. Channels like TV9 Bharatvarsh lent legitimacy to such rumours by broadcasting misleading segments, coining terms like “corona criminals” for Muslim vendors.
Gulf News urged authorities in the UAE to "take action" against channels that are "preachers of hate", specifically Republic TV, Zee News, India TV, Aaj Tak, ABP and Times Now. "They must not be allowed to vitiate the social atmosphere of Gulf countries where tens of millions of diverse ethnicities and religious background work and live peacefully."
Following the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi, and the subsequent spike in coronavirus cases, sections of the India media lost no time in spreading communal hatred, conspiracy theories, and fake news. It's part of how several TV news channels participate in a cycle of misinformation and hate.
The story was first published by newslaundry.com (read the original post by clicking here.)
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Man from Thane held for using fake railway pass on local train
Thane (PTI): Police have arrested a 20-year-old man from Maharashtra's Thane city for allegedly travelling on a fake railway pass generated through the UTS mobile ticketing app, officials said on Sunday.
The man was travelling on a Dadar-Ambernath fast AC local train on Friday when the travelling ticket inspector asked him to show his ticket.
The accused showed a digital railway pass on his mobile phone's WhatsApp and it was later found to be fake, a Government Railway Police (GRP) official said.
He was offloaded at Thane station and brought to the GRP police station for further inquiry.
During questioning, the man claimed that a friend forwarded the fake pass to him on WhatsApp, the official said.
The man was later arrested and booked on charges of cheating and forgery, the police added.
