News24 shares old broadcast of namaz at Jama Masjid multiple times to portray mass gathering
The story was first published by Altnews.in (read the original post by clicking here.)
On Friday, April 17, Hindi media outlet News24 shared a video on Facebook titled, “कोरोना ने बदला इबादत की तरीका,दिल्ली के जामा मस्जिद का माहौल क्या है?” This translates to – “Cororna has changed the ways of worship, what is the atmosphere in Delhi’s Jama Masjid?”
The broadcast started with the anchor informing that the coronavirus scare has caused Islamic nations across the world to alter the ways of offering prayers. “People are being advised to offer namaz at home. But today we are at Delhi’s Jama Masjid and here Friday namaz is being offered as usual.” The channel gave its viewers the impression that worshippers gathered at the mosque on Friday despite the lockdown imposed due to coronavirus pandemic.
News24 took down the video after it was pointed out that the broadcast was over a month old. It was first aired on March 13. In its response, the channel claimed that an “old video was shared by mistake” and that it can assure its users that this was “totally unintentional”.
Dear Zubair, this old video was shared by mistake and was taken down as soon as the mistake was realised. We can assure you and all our followers that this was totally unintentional.
— Corona Warrior News24 India (@news24tvchannel) April 17, 2020
However, several people downloaded the video and shared it on social media, believing that it is recent.
The channel claimed that it made a genuine mistake. But did it really?
“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times…”
News24 wasn’t lying that the broadcast was first aired on March 13. However, it is difficult to believe that sharing the clip on April 17 was an inadvertent error when this was the third time that the same broadcast was uploaded after its initial airing.
The channel had also shared the broadcast on March 19 and on April 1. News24 conveniently misled its audience that worshippers unfazed by the coronavirus outbreak were gathering in large numbers at Delhi Jama Masjid, putting themselves and everybody else at risk.
Below is the broadcast in question.
On the initial date of upload – March 13 – coronavirus had not gained centre stage in mainstream media reports. In fact, the Union Ministry of Health had declared that it wasn’t a health emergency. However, by March 19, when the channel reuploaded the broadcast for the first time, the Delhi government had banned all social, political and religious gatherings of more than 50 people. On April 1, when the video was reshared for the second time, the centre had announced a nationwide lockdown to tackle coronavirus. On April 17, as the channel uploaded it once again (and later took it down), the discourse around coronavirus had already taken an anti-Muslim shape after Nizamuddin Markaz was identified as a hotspot. News24’s broadcast has a cumulative view count of over 6 million.
News24 has put out a clarification for the April 17 ‘mistake’ (sans an apology). But it would be interesting to find out its justification for reuploading the video on the two previous occasions.
The story was first published by Altnews.in (read the original post by clicking here.)
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4% quota for Muslim contractors: BJP to challenge K'taka's 'unconstitutional move' in court
New Delhi/Bengaluru, Mar 17 (PTI): The BJP on Monday termed the Karnataka government’s proposal to provide four per cent reservation to Muslims in government contracts an "unconstitutional misadventure" and said it will oppose the move at all levels, including challenging it in court, until it is rolled back.
The ruling Congress in Karnataka and the BJP hit out at each other over the issue in the Assembly.
Earlier on Friday, the Cabinet approved an amendment to the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Act, reserving four per cent of contracts for Muslims in civil works valued up to Rs two crore and goods/services contracts up to Rs one crore.
"The BJP firmly opposes the proposed unconstitutional move and demands that the Siddaramaiah government immediately roll it back," BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, who represents the Bangalore South Lok Sabha seat, told a press conference at the party headquarters in New Delhi.
He alleged that the Siddaramaiah-led government’s decision was a "calculated move" to appease Muslims, "at the direction and patronage of the Congress top leadership, particularly Rahul Gandhi."
"This patently unconstitutional and prima facie illegal act will be challenged in court. The BJP will fight against the move both inside the Assembly and on the streets. We will also raise the issue in Parliament and protest outside it," Surya said.
The BJP MP said that the Karnataka government’s move is a threat to national integrity, unity, and sovereignty.
"We will fight and oppose this in the courtroom. We will take the fight to the people of Karnataka. Until this unconstitutional move is rolled back, the BJP’s fight will continue," he added.
Meanwhile, in the Karnataka Assembly, the ruling Congress and the BJP once again sparred on Monday over the budgetary provision of four per cent reservation for Muslims in government contracts.
The Congress rejected the BJP’s allegation that religion-based reservation is "against constitutional provisions."
Defending the reservation, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said that Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, and Buddhists are citizens of this country.
"We have concerns for minorities and backward communities. When the BJP says it wants to take everyone along, let it appoint Christian and Muslim ministers. Only then does BJP state president B Y Vijayendra have the right to speak about equality. Let him read the state anthem written by Kuvempu—then he will understand what makes Karnataka a peaceful garden," Shivakumar told reporters.
Hitting back at Shivakumar, Vijayendra said that it was the BJP government, not the Congress, that had appointed Dr A P J Abdul Kalam as the President of India.
"We appointed Najma Heptulla, Justice Abdul Nazeer, and Arif Mohammed Khan as governors. Musician Ustad Bismillah Khan was bestowed with the Bharat Ratna by the BJP government," Vijayendra told reporters.
According to him, Congress's appeasement politics is not new.
He questioned the Congress party’s concern for Dalits, asking where it was when its MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy’s house was "torched by Muslim hooligans".
The Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R Ashoka, claimed that several Supreme Court judgments have stated that there is no provision in the Constitution for religion-based reservations.
"Yet, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wore a ‘topi’ (skull cap), organised Tipu Jayanti, and introduced Shaadi Bhagya (launched in 2013, it provides financial assistance to economically backward minority women). He gave grants to Muslims beyond what they had asked for. Now, by offering four per cent reservation in contracts to Muslims, the Congress government has made an assault on Hindus," he alleged.
Ashoka argued that there had never been a religion-based contract system in Karnataka, but the government had introduced one, which could lead to conflicts between communities.
In the Karnataka Legislative Council, Leader of the Opposition, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy raised the issue.
He said that religion-based reservation is "not allowed under the Constitution."
"You have granted four per cent reservation to Muslims in contracts. We oppose religion-based reservations. I urge the government through you not to implement it," he stated.
Countering him, Congress MLA B K Hariprasad asserted that the reservation aligns with constitutional provisions.
