Zee News directed by NBDSA to take down videos on ‘Mehndi Jihad’
New Delhi: In a move to prevent broadcast of anti-Muslim content, the self-regulatory authority News Broadcasters and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) recently directed Zee News to take down all videos that it had aired about the purported ‘Mehndi Jihad’, clarifying that the videos violated media guidelines related to neutrality.
NBDSA, taking action against the programme aired by Zee News, said that the matter was baseless and had hateful content. The Authority has also warned Zee News and instructed it to exercise professional responsibility while broadcasting such content in future.
Furthermore, NBDSA Chairperson former Supreme Court judge Justice AK Sikri has asked Times Now Navbharat to remove tickers on two broadcasts on ‘Love Jihad’, with the complainant stating that the tickers were communal and vilified Muslims.
It is understood that action was taken on the news channel based on a complaint filed by one Indrajeet Ghorpade (@jeetxg) after the programme was aired in October 2024.
Ghorpade has complained that Zee News’ programmes promoted the campaign of a Hindutva group’s urging Hindu women not to get Muslims to apply mehndi during the Karwa Chauth festival that is round the corner. He has alleged that the group has accused Muslims of spitting into and also mixing non-vegetarian matter into the mehndi that they apply on Hindu women.
Referring to ‘Jihad’, the complaint has stated that the group has accused the artists pretend to be Hindus as a part of a conspiracy to marry Hindu women and also plan to forcibly convert them. In addition, the group planned to police mehndi artists by checking their Aadhaar cards and performed pujas on lathis saying it would beat up artists who did not conform to its demands if the authorities did not act, Ghorpade recalled.
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Dalit officer alleges harassment by senior officials in Civil Rights Enforcement Directorate
Bengaluru: An Inspector of the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE) has alleged that Dalit officers are facing harassment from senior officials within the department that is meant to handle cases of atrocities against SC/ST communities.
Inspector T.R. Srinivas has made the allegations in a letter addressed to DCRE Director General of Police Umesh Kumar, which he has also shared with the media. He has also released a video reiterating the claims.
In the video, Srinivas has named DCRE SP Karibasangouda and DySP Maheshwaragouda, alleging that he was pressured to act in favour of upper-caste accused in certain cases. He further claimed that false complaints were accepted against him and he was harassed in the name of inquiry.
Srinivas also alleged that he was not officially relieved from duty in DCRE, but that SP Karibasangouda and DySP Maheshwaragouda created “fake documents” showing that he had been relieved, which he said was in violation of an order of the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT).
He said he had served for 20 years without any adverse remarks, but is now being targeted. “Working for Dalits and serving in the police department itself seems to have become a mistake,” he said, adding that Dalit officers are not receiving protection in the state.
He also alleged lack of transparency in the department and claimed that decisions are being dominated by upper-caste officials. In the video, he appealed to the government to intervene and prevent any untoward incident, warning that if the situation continues, responsibility would lie with the Chief Minister, Home Minister and the DGP.
Srinivas had been transferred from the DCRE last month, but had obtained a stay on the transfer from the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal.
Meanwhile, DCRE SP Karibasangouda has denied the allegations made by Srinivas.
