Since the issue is quite important as it is directly related to the common people, the petition said its hearing on an urgent basis is crucial in ensuring justice.
Team Clarion
NEW DELHIi – President of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Maulana Arshad Madani filed a petition in the Supreme Court against a section of the mainstream media, including television channels and newspapers, for indulging in illegal and unprofessional practices. The petition alleged that through lies, the media units are deliberately making Muslims a target of hate and thereby pitting them against Hindus.
Today, Advocate-on-Record Ajaz Maqbool formally registered the petition on behalf of Maulana Arshad Madani in the apex court requesting the Chief Justice of India (CJI) N V Ravana for an expeditious hearing in the case.
Since the filing of the petition on April 13, 2020, there have been eleven hearings. In the last hearing held on September 2, 2021, the Union of India filed its reply before the court. Similarly, the Broadcasting Organisation and the news regulators too filed their reply. The petitions pending in various high courts of the country have also been consolidated on the order of the Supreme Court.
Since the issue is quite important as it is directly related to the common people, the petition said its hearing on an urgent basis is crucial in ensuring justice.
Making a strong case for the urgent hearing in the case, the petitioner said at a time when five states are going to polls in the assembly elections, the fake news being peddled by some unscrupulous channels may disrupt the peace and communal harmony in the country. It’s, therefore, requested to the court to issue a special order to rein in on the errant news channels.
It is to be noted here that ever since the petition was filed by Gulzar Azmi, head of the Jamiat Ulama Legal Aid Committee, a plaintiff in the petition, the channels broadcasting fake news had been under control to some extent.
During the course of hearing, some channels apologised in the court for unduly targeting the Tablighi Jamaat in their broadcast blaming the members for the spread of dreaded coronavirus in the country.
