The High Court in the Indian capital of New Delhi has blocked the broadcast of a television program claiming to expose an “infiltration of Muslims” into the country’s Public Service.
Owner and Editor-in-chief of the broadcaster, Sudarshan News, Suresh Chavhanke (pictured) said it was the “first time in the history of television news that a show has been stopped”.
He said he had not received the official ruling from the court, but had decided not to broadcast anyway.
The petition in the High Court, filed by current and former students of Jamia Millia Islamia University, submitted that the show sought to “defame, attack and incite hatred against Jamia Millia Islamia, its alumni and the Muslim community at large”.
In a promotion for the show, Mr Chavhanke had used the term “bureaucracy jihad”.
“How come suddenly the number of Muslims has increased in the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Police Service? What is the secret of them getting the highest marks and ranks in one of the toughest exams?” Mr Chavhanke asked in the promotion.
“Imagine if the jihadi of Jamia are your District Collectors and Secretaries in Ministries, what will happen then? Watch our biggest expose on the bureaucracy jihad,” he said.
In the statement issued later Mr Chavhanke said he “strongly stand by the content shown in the promotion of our program”.
Earlier the Indian Police Service Association, as well as many individual Public Servants, had joined a chorus of outrage on social media against the program.
The officers demanded action be taken against Mr Chavhanke, saying the promotion for the program amounted to hate speech.
New Delhi, 31 August 2020
