Sudarshan News channel today responded to the show-cause issued to the channel against the content of its programme ‘Bindas Bol’, which accuses Zakat Foundation of helping Muslims to infiltrate the civil services with the help of funding from terror-linked organisations abroad.
The Editor in Chief of the channel, Suresh Chavhanke, took to Twitter to announce that the channel had replied to the show-cause notice issued by the Ministry of Broadcasting for its show “UPSC Jihad”. Chavhanke also added that important sections of the 1000-page response would be shared on Twitter in the upcoming days.
“Today, we have given a reply to the show-cause notice issued by the Ministry of Broadcasting on #UPSC_Jihad. Sharing 5 pages of the covering letter of the response with you all. For the next few days, we will put up important portions of our 1000-page response to the show-cause notice. #BindasBol,” Suresh Chavhanke tweeted.
— Suresh Chavhanke “Sudarshan News” (@SureshChavhanke) September 28, 2020
“You had asked us 13 questions but we are answering 63 questions that were asked of us in the Supreme Court and social media forums. We thought it is our duty to address those questions as well. Please consider this earnest effort from us seriously and assist us in exposing the conspiracy that has been hatched against us,” the covering letter shared by Suresh Chavhanke and addressed to the Government of India read.
Citing the law of propaganda by Goebbels: “Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth”, the covering letter mentions that a concerted effort has been undertaken to run down the channel’s UPSC jihad show, provoke people against it and deceive various state institutions.
Nefarious attempts by detractors to brand the channel anti-Muslim and cover their tracks
“As a result, a show based on investigative journalism got mired in legal disputes and the expose of the country’s biggest national security threat got stuck in between. By taking advantage of these circumstances, the accused related to the expose are trying to erase the evidence,” the letter read.
The letter further read, “We are the only channel against which coercive action is being taken because we are the only ones who have endeavoured to take on the enemy of the global humanity–’Radical Islamic Terrorism’.”
The channel also alleged that the detractors trying to pull its show “UPSC Jihad’ down are “Intellectual Sleeper Cells”, who are trying to distract the nation’s attention from the pressing issue of terror links behind the funding of Zakat Foundation.”
Chavhanke also lamented that the show was branded anti-Muslim just because he urged people to watch the show whose promo included views of rabid fundamentalists. “We discovered the nexus between Indian organisations and foreign-based terrorists. If those terrorists are Muslims, is it my fault?” Chavhanke asked.
Raising questions over the objections related to the unpalatable depiction of Muslims in his show, he claimed that, “Is it a crime to anchor a channel while sporting a tilak and wearing saffron clothes? I have immeasurable faith over my holy culture and our mighty ancestors. How did I become anti-Muslim for this?” Chavhanke questioned in the letter.
Centre issues show-cause notice to Sudarshan News
The Supreme Court on September 23 postponed the hearing in the ‘UPSC Jihad’ case after the Centre informed the apex court that it had sent a show-cause notice to the channel over possible violation of channel code. The centre had asked the failing which an ex-parte decision could have been taken by the government.
The programme themed UPSC Jihad alleged that Zakat Foundation, an NGO which provides training to largely Muslims students aspiring for civil services has received funds from various terror-linked organizations. The court had maintained the September 15 injunction on the broadcast of the show.
