NBDSA fines news channel for 'communal' tinge to debate on hijab row

NBDSA has imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on News18 India for making a communal issue out of a debate on the Hijab row and linking persons supporting the practice with Al-Qaeda.

New Delhi: The News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority of India (NBDSA) has imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on News18 India for making a communal issue out of a debate on the Hijab row and linking persons supporting the practice with Al-Qaeda.

NBDSA strongly deprecated the tendency of the broadcaster to associate those panellists 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', read the order given by NBDSA chairperson Justice A K Sikri (retd).

The said programme was broadcast on April 6. The NBDSA said the 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 also did not find any justification in linking those panellists/persons who were supporting Hijab with Al-Qaeda by airing tickers stating #AlQaedaGangExposed, Hijab ka fata poster, nikla AlQaeda, Al Zawahiri found behind the Hijab, and Al-Qaeda has planned the Hijab controversy.

The hijab ban controversy broke out in January after a group of Muslim students of the Government Women's Pre-University College in Karnataka's Udupi city were not allowed to attend classes for wearing the headscarf. (PTI)

(This story has not been edited by ETV Bharat and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)