The NBDSA directed both channels to remove the objectionable content; it refrained from levying fines
NEW DELHI — Two TV channels, part of the infamous ‘Godi Media’ in the country, have been found to have violated the code of ethics. The channels have been castigated for spreading anti-Muslim misinformation and hate speech.
Godi media is a term coined and popularised by veteran journalist Ravish Kumar to describe biased Indian print and TV news media, which has openly supported the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government since 2014. These outlets have been accused of spreading fake news, Islamophobia, and hate speech, often aligned with BJP narratives. Critics argue that Godi media has eroded trust in the media and poses a threat to democratic integrity.
On Saturday, News Broadcasting & Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) ruled that Zee News and Times Now Navbharat violated its Code of Ethics by airing Islamophobic and misleading reports promoting “Mehendi Jihad” and “Love Jihad” conspiracy theories.
The media watchdog directed both channels to remove the objectionable content from all of their platforms.
Zee News was found guilty of promoting “Mehendi Jihad” conspiracy theories and claiming that Muslim men posing as mehendi artists were targeting Hindu women for forced religious conversion.
Similarly, the self-regulatory news authority found Times Now Navbharat spreading anti-Muslim misinformation and hate speech.
The NBDSA issued separate rulings against the channels in response to complaints filed by media researcher and journalist Indrajeet Ghorpade.
In its ruling, the NBDSA concluded that in its “Mehendi Jihad” programme Zee News aired multiple segments with headlines such as “Mehendi Jihad par de dana-dan” and “Lathi se lais rahenge, jihadiyon ko rokenge,” alleging that Muslim artists “spit into mehendi” and used their profession to lure women into converting.
Ghorpade said the channel amplified violent anti-Muslim rhetoric, called for boycotts of Muslim mehendi artists, and failed to verify its claims or present opposing perspectives.
“Despite promoting these violent threats against Muslim artists, NBDSA only ‘admonished’ Zee News and asked for the videos to be removed, a year after their broadcast,” Ghorpade said. “NBDSA has the authority to impose fines from Rs2 lakh to Rs25 lakh but chose not to. Channels like Zee have little incentive to stop spreading content that divides society.”
In the case against Times Now Navbharat, NBDSA found it wanting for its reports on a controversial “Love Jihad” case in Uttar Pradesh. The channel aired segments echoing a judgment by Bareilly District Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar, who sentenced Muslim man Mohammed Aalim to life imprisonment for allegedly forcing a Hindu woman to convert. The woman later told the court that her parents and Hindu right-wing groups had coerced her into filing a false complaint, a detail the channel omitted.
“Times Now Navbharat repeated the judge’s words without applying journalistic scrutiny,” Ghorpade said. “While NBDSA noted that tickers like ‘Uttar Pradesh mein Love Jihad, toolkit Pakistan’ and ‘Jhuthe naam ka afsana, maqsad musalman banana’ violated the Code of Ethics, it ignored that the channel deliberately suppressed the woman’s confession.”
While NBDSA directed both channels to remove the objectionable content, it refrained from levying fines.
“These cases highlight how the self-regulatory framework fails to hold powerful media houses accountable for communal propaganda,” Ghorpade said. He urged journalists, activists, and organisations to raise awareness and push for independent oversight of broadcast media.
Observers will watch whether the NBDSA follows up with stricter enforcement in future cases, or whether legislative or judicial oversight is pushed to strengthen media accountability.
