Bengaluru: The News18 channel anchor Aman Chopra is found to have breached the code of ethics during a debate over the Hijab ban in Karnataka, said the News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA).
The NBDSA, an independent body of television news channels, has also slapped a fine of Rs 50, 0000 on the anchor for calling the panellists Al Qaeda sympathisers who supported the student's right to wear hijab.
Calling on the channel to take down the show, the NBDSA said the anchor not only acted in 'flagrant disrespect' but also breached the Code of Ethics, turning the debate into a communal matter and calling the panellists who supported the girls over their rights to wear hijab Al-Qaeda supporters.
Aman Chopra could be heard on the show repeatedly calling the hijab-supporting panellists 'Zawahiri gang members, and 'Zawahiri's ambassador', besides the deprecatory comments like 'Zawahiri is your God' and 'you are his fan'.
The channel also aired tickers saying 'AlQaedaGangExposed', 'Hijab ka fata poster, nikla Al Qaeda', 'Al Zawahiri found behind the hijab' and 'Al Qaeda has planned the hijab controversy'.
The NBDSA action came after a complaint filed by Indrajeet Ghorpade on April 10 in which it was mentioned that the anchor Aman Chopra termed the Muslim students as 'hijabi gang' and 'hijabwali gazwa gang' who resorted to rioting.
The complainant Ghorpade is a tech ethics professional who is fighting misinformation on news channels.
"In April 2022, I filed a complaint with the News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) against a severely harmful News 18 India debate programme on the Hijab ban in Karnataka, hosted by a recidivist hatemonger Aman Chopra. The programme attempted to link protesting Muslim girl students and their supporters with terrorist organisations. The anchor and the panellists promoted dangerous stereotypes against the Muslim community," Indrajeet Ghorpade stated.