Mumbai: The News Broadcasting And Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) has fined News18 India Rs 50,000.The body found that the channel violated principles relating to impartiality, neutrality, fairness and good taste while conducting a debate programme relating to the Karnataka Hijab case on 6 April.

The debate also failed to abide by a court verdict. The NBDSA has also directed that the video be removed from its platform. NBDSA did not have any issue with the subject of the debate. However, on examination of the matter, it found that the problem lay with the narrative and the tilt that was given to the programme.  

The complaint was filed by Indrajeet Ghorpade on 10 April. The complainant stated that Al Qaeda chief, Zawahiri, had praised Muskan Khan, a Muslim student from Karnataka for confronting a mob that heckled her for wearing the hijab earlier this year. Zawahiri also remarked that in India, Muslim people were facing atrocities and urged the international Muslim community to support the Indian Muslim women, who were fighting for their right to wear a hijab.

The complainant noted that in the debate programme, the anchor referred to the Muslim students as "Hijabi Gang", "Hijabwali Gazwa Gang" and made false allegations that they had resorted to rioting. The anchor claimed that Zawahiri and terrorist organisations were behind the entire Hijab row and that in India, there are many “Hijabi” representatives of Zawahiri, and it's "the Zawahiri gang". Further, he added that Zawahiri was the face and the students were his mask. The anchor also repeated multiple times during the broadcast that Zawahiri and Indian Muslims follow the same book and same ideology the complainant had alleged.

NBDSA did not find merit in the broadcaster’s submission that the terms “Hijabi Gang”, “Hijabwali Gazwa Gang” and “the Zawahiri gang” were used only in respect of the invisible powers which were allegedly behind the controversy and not in respect of the students who were protesting in support of Hijab. NBDSA observed that while having a debate as to whether wearing of Hijab be allowed in the schools or not, there was no occasion to blow up the debate by making it a communal issue.

NBDSA strongly deprecated the tendency of the broadcaster to associate those panelists who were in favour of wearing Hijab by the students with Zawahiri and labelling them as "Zawahiri gang member" "Zawahiri's ambassador ,"Zawahiri is your God, you are his fan." . NBDSA also did not find any justification in linking those panelists/persons who were supporting Hijab with Al Qaeda by airing tickers stating “#AlQaedaGangExposed”, “Hijab ka fata poster, nikla Al Qaeda”, “Al Zawahiri found behind the hijab” and “Al Qaeda has planned the hijab controversy”.

NBDSA further observed that the anchor had not only acted in flagrant disrespect of the Code of Ethics And Broadcasting Standards and the Specific Guidelines Covering Reportage but had also failed to abide by the decision of the Bombay High Court in a case last year. This enjoins an anchor to apply his/her mind and avoid the programme from drifting beyond the permissible limits, including by muting the speaker who flies off the tangent. NBDSA noted that even the Supreme Court has on numerous occasions stressed on the role of the anchor in a news programme and stated that the anchor must maintain a balance between the panelists. However, in the instant case, not only had the anchor failed to stop the other panelists from crossing the boundary but had given them a platform to express extreme views which could adversely affect the communal harmony in the country.

Therefore, NBDSA held that the impugned programme was violative of the principles relating to impartiality, neutrality, fairness and good taste and decency under the Specific Guidelines Covering Reportage, apart from the Code of Ethics and Broadcasting Standards. NBDSA stated that the broadcaster would be well advised to guide and train its anchor on how to conduct debates on such sensitive issues.

Besides the fine NBDSA admonished the broadcaster for conducting such a debate, which was not in accordance with the Code of Ethics and/or the observations and judgment of the Bombay High Court in respect of the role of the anchor in a programme as mentioned above.

NBDSA also made it clear that it has given abundant guidance as to how such programmes should run without violating the Code of Ethics and in case the NBDSA finds that in spite thereof such violations are repeated in future, it may have to direct the broadcaster to ensure the presence of the anchor Aman Chopra before the NBDSA .

NBDSA further also directed the broadcaster to remove the video of the programme from its website and all platforms and the same should be confirmed to NBDSA in writing within seven days of the order.

The complainant had submitted that the broadcaster airs an interesting compilation of shows with the objective of spreading communal disharmony and anti-Muslim sentiments in the country. In view of the above, the complainant prayed for NBDSA to intervene in the matter and to stop violations of the Code of Ethics & Broadcasting Standards and Guidelines by repeat offenders.

The broadcaster had submitted that the impugned show was based on a statement made in the video featuring Ayman al-Zawahiri, leader of Al-Qaeda, which it noted is a multinational militant Sunni Islamic extremist network. The said video was already viral on the social media before its telecast. In the said video, Zawahiri had praised Muskan Khan, a student who had raised her voice in support of the hijab. The broadcaster submitted that it had reported facts publicly available and widely reported by other outlets about the hijab controversy including the decision of the Karnataka High Court which stated that the hijab was not a part of Islamic tradition, and that students were not allowed to wear the same in schools as part of the uniform. In fact, the Hon’ble High Court had raised a question regarding some invisible power behind the Hijab issue.

The broadcaster had submitted that in the impugned programme, it had questioned the motives of Al Zawahiri and had not made any comment in reference to the girls who were raising their voice in support of hijab.