NBDSA’s rebuke to Aaj Tak, fine on controversial program and instructions to remove it
NBDSA का आदेश ‘आजतक’, नफरत फैलाने वाले दो अन्य चैनलों पर विवादित कार्यक्रम, वीडियो हटाएं, जुर्माना लगाया
The News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) has issued an order directing news channel Aaj Tak to remove a fictitious story in which Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was targeted. Aaj Tak had shown this story in its show Black and White which was presented by its anchor Sudhir Chaudhary on March 24 last year. This program was shown by Aaj Tak channel after the Surat Court of Gujarat convicted Rahul Gandhi in the ‘Modi’ surname case. Youth Congress President BV Srinivas had filed a complaint against this program before the NBDSA.
During the programme, Sudhir Chaudhary, while narrating an imaginary story of a dacoit, had said that the names of these dacoits are Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi and Mehul Choksi. Describing these people as the biggest criminals, an animation was shown in which a man is robbing people with a gun and then gets caught by the police.
Sudhir Chaudhary had quoted a tweet by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi during the program and said that both Priyanka Gandhi and the Congress party are trying to save Rahul Gandhi. Sudhir Chaudhary had said, “While defending Rahul Gandhi in this case, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and the Congress party are arguing that other people have committed so many crimes in this country. But why is the action being taken only against Rahul Gandhi? After this Sudhir Chaudhary narrated an imaginary story saying that it has no connection with any person.
After this the anchor further said, “You cannot reduce your own crimes by counting the crimes of other people. But the Congress party is doing the same.” In the complaint made in this regard, there was also talk of removing the tweet of the channel in which it was said, “Will the crimes of Rahul Gandhi be reduced by counting the crimes of others?”
In the order, NBDSA Chairperson Justice AK Sikri said that though a fictional video was shown during the event, linking it to Rahul Gandhi was not appropriate and should have been avoided. In the order, instructions have been given to remove this video from Aaj Tak channel which is still available on the channel’s website. The authority has also asked to remove all hyperlinks of this video within seven days.
The authority underlined that the anchor gave a different meaning to Priyanka Gandhi’s tweet. It was raised in the complaint that the channel had also run a disclaimer to avoid action because it knew that it was doing something wrong and the intention behind it was obvious.
Apart from this, NBDSA has fined other channels Times Now Navbharat and News 18 India as well as Aaj Tak, finding them guilty of spreading hatred and communal division in the society against a particular community.
A fine of Rs 1 lakh has been imposed on Times Now Navbharat, Rs 50,000 on News 18 India, while a warning has been issued to Aaj Tak. It has also been said that these three channels will have to remove such programs immediately. If this is not done within seven days, action will be taken against the channels. This order has been issued on the complaint of activist Indrajit Ghorpade.
In another case, the authority has imposed a fine of Rs 75,000 on Aaj Tak channel. In this program, Aaj Tak had presented a statement of former US President Barack Obama in a misleading manner. This program was also shown by Aaj Tak in its channel Black and White which is anchored by Sudhir Chaudhary.
In this program broadcast on 26 June 2023, anchor Sudhir Chaudhary had presented a statement of Barack Obama as a supporter of Tukde Tukde gang, Khalistani of Punjab and Pakistan.
In a statement, Barack Obama had expressed concern over the situation of weaker sections in India and said that if the rights of these communities are not protected, there could be secession in the country. He had urged the government of current President Joe Biden to express America’s concern by talking to Prime Minister Modi in this regard. Narendra Modi was on a visit to America at that time.
He had said, “If the President meets PM Modi, there should be mention of protection of Muslim minorities in Hindu majority India in the conversation. I know PM Modi and I had said about this in the conversation that if you do not protect the interests of minorities then a situation of separatism will arise.
In the complaint made in this regard, it was said that Aaj Tak had distorted this statement a lot and called it ‘Tukde Tukde Gang’.
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