Complaint against AAJ TAK News Channel before Ministry of Information & Broadcasting seeking suspension of its licence
(Judicial Quest News Network)
The Hindi News Channel AAJ TAK has made a “distasteful, disparaging and insensitive’ remarks on the India army and carried out insensitive coverage of the death of a film actor Sushant Singh Rajput, in a programme telecast on AAJ TAK.
The Complainant Mr Nilesh Navalakha is a reputed filmmaker/producer and has produced nine films containing social issues and has received national awards for three of films ‘Shala’, ‘Fandry’ and ‘Anumati’. Before the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting seeking the suspension of the Channel’s up linking and Downlinking Licence.
The complaint is sent through Advocates Ragesh G Inamdar and Amit.A.Pai
The complainant also states that dering the India-China stand-off, new anchor Ms. Sweta Singhand her collegue Mr. Rohit Sardana made completely distasteful, Disparaging and insensitive remarks on the Indian Army. Commentin on the violent face-off between India and China along the line of Actual Control during the conversation, Singh states “This is the responsibility of the Army. You cam’t blame the government”
That Chinese incursion into the Indian Territory is not just governments fault, but also Army’s as patrolling the border are not government’s responsibility”. “..This isn’t a situation where you ask questions after something has occurred. There are a few questions to be answered here. Firstly, if the People’s Liberation Army entered Indian Territory and our soldiers were sleeping, then it’s on the Army and Page 4 of 12 not on the government because the government is not on patrolling duty, the Army is.”
The Complainant further states that the The aforesaid broadcast by the Channel clearly attacks the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the state, public order, decency or morality and is in no manner fits in the realm of freedom of press.
Moreover, neither the channel nor its anchors are experts who could comment on the comment on the functioning, protocols, strategically decisions etc morale, conduct, loyalty and integrity of the Indian Armed Forces.
You and your channel are also not an authority or specialist to comment or remark on national security and national unity, and make any decisions on how to defend the nation from external aggression and internal threats.
Further, in a tense situation, with the broadcast reaching crores of people, this is a deliberate attempt to spread a negative emption against the Indian Armed forces, and in direct breach of the Programme Code
It is also mentioned “that the Channel and it’s anchors have insulted every hero of the Indian Armed Forces presently serving the nation, Martyrs, their families, and every Citizen of this nation by their insensitive, disparaging, gross, distasteful, disrespectful, unlawful, speculative and irresponsible remarks against the Indian Armed Forces for which you, channel, its anchor and every such member associated with the broadcast apart from suspension/cancellation of the unlinking-downlinking license is also liable for criminal prosecution under relevant provisions of IPC, Army Act and any other provisions of law.”
The complaint states that such comments by the anchor, who are not experts in the field, can affect the morale of the Armed forces and the formulation of the strategic protocols.
“That the Channel and it’s anchors have insulted every hero of the Indian Armed Forces presently serving the nation, Martyrs, their families, and every Citizen of this nation by their insensitive, disparaging, gross, distasteful, disrespectful, unlawful, speculative and irresponsible remarks against the Indian Armed Forces for which you, channel, its anchor and every such member associated with the broadcast apart from suspension/cancellation of the uplinking-downlinking license is also liable for criminal prosecution under relevant provisions of IPC, Army Act and any other provisions of law”
The channel while briefing the Sushant Singh Rajput’s death was insensitive. It is stated that immediately after the news about his death; the channel ran a ticker “How did he hit the wicket” and published the picture of his dead body.
The complainant states that the AAJ TAK manufactured certain tweets and falsely reported the screenshots calling them as the actor’s last tweets.
“That Aaj Tak was purportedly one of the first channels (as it claims) to reach Mr. Rajput’s residence in Patna, and the reporter kept trying to get a comment from his father, who was clearly too shocked by grief to say anything. But the reporter was relentless.
The reporter kept bombarding the shell-shocked and traumatic father of the actor in his Patna residence. The anchor can be heard stating that Mr. Rajput’s father “was not in a state to talk”.
The anchor then goes on to wonder if his sisters are available to talk and would be able to “shed light on why Sushant took such a step”.
Under the provisions Cable television Network (Regulation) Act of 1995, 1994 Rules and the Policy Guidelines for Uplinking of television Channels, gives the government the power to suspension/cancellation of unlinking-downlinking license of any channel in the country.
In such circumstances, the Ministry is requested to take cognizance of the violations of programme code and suspend/cancel the downlinking license granted to Aaj Tak and impose severe penalty.
The Complainant also beseeches that the Complainant and his Advocates be given prior notice of the hearing so as to enable the complainant to produce any such additional material/evidence and make submissions in this regard.
The Complainant also be informed about the status of Page 12 of 12 the complaint viz notice issued to the Channel, reply if any received to the Complaint so as to enable the Complainant to make proper representation and to file rejoinder to the reply if any.
The complainant clarifies that he has issued a legal notice in this regard to the Channel which is in addition to not in derogation to the present complaint.
