Several serving and retired civil service officers condemned the video posted by the channel.
WEB DESK
The Delhi High Court today stayed the broadcast of a show by Sudarshan News channel, which claimed to be an “expose” on the “infiltration of Muslims” in the Civil Services.
The stay order was passed by a single-judge bench of Justice Navin Chawla, on a plea filed by the students of Jamia Millia Islamia.
The promo of the show shared by the channel’s editor-in-chief Suresh Chavhanke with hashtag ‘UPSC Jihad’ has attracted criticism from several quarters. On August 26, Chavhanke had tweeted the trailer of his upcoming show, which he claimed was an “expose” on the “infiltration of Muslims” in the Civil Services.
In the video, he called those passing out of Jamia’s Residential Coaching Academy (RCA) and clearing the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) as “Jamia ke Jihadi”.
On Thursday, Jamia Millia Islamia wrote to the Union Education Ministry asking them to take action against Sudarshan News channel and its editor-in-chief Chavhanke for “tarnishing” the image of the university.
The IPS Association also termed the show “irresponsible”. “A news story targeting candidates in civil services on the basis of religion is being promoted by Sudarshan TV. We condemn the communal and irresponsible piece of journalism,” the association tweeted.
The foundation further said it hoped that the News Broadcasting Standards Authority, the Uttar Pradesh Police and other concerned government authorities would take strict action.
Several people tweeted their opposition against the promotional clip, which also appeared to raise questions about a coaching centre run by Jamia Millia Islamia for IAS aspirants.
Jamia Millia Islamia PRO Ahmed Azeem said, “We have written to the Education Ministry informing about the whole episode and requested them to take appropriate action. We told them that the Sudarshan Channel has not only tried to tarnish the image of JMI and a particular community but the image of UPSC also.”
Bahujan Samaj Party’s Lok Sabha MP Kunwar Danish Ali, an alumni of Jamia Millia Islamia, said the educational institution has played a leading role in nation-building before and after Independence.
A number of serving and retired civil service officers also condemned the video posted by the channel.
IPS officer Niharika Bhatt slammed the video, saying it was a “despicable attempt at hate mongering”.
“To question the credentials of officers on the basis of religion is not only laughable, but should also be dealt with strictest legal provisions. We are all Indians first,” she said.
Before the Delhi high court’s stay order on the show,Chavhanke was quoted as saying that he would go ahead with the programme as scheduled. He had also alleged that the issue was being twisted by the IPS Association.