New Delhi: Citizens for Justice and Peace has moved the News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority against a prime time Zee News debate aired on January 1. The organisation accused the channel of running a communal and unethical programme aimed at stoking hostility against Muslims.
The show carried the title “Kalicharan Maharaj Vs Char Maulana… Hinduon ki Lynching Par Visphotic Bahas”. CJP described the broadcast as a violation of broadcast norms and an exercise in ideological provocation. The complaint said the programme used violence against Hindus in Bangladesh as a trigger to frame Indian Muslims as a collective threat.
According to CJP, the debate format reduced four Muslim speakers to a single religious identity. The channel introduced them as scholars, analysts, and researchers, then repeatedly labelled them as “Maulanas” on screen. This framing shifted the discussion from political analysis to a religious confrontation.
The complaint highlighted a segment where Kalicharan Maharaj alleged violence through selective references to Islamic texts and warned of an imminent Ghazwa e Hind. CJP stated the anchor failed to challenge or contextualise these claims. The organisation said this silence amounted to editorial approval and breached rules on preventing communal provocation.
CJP noted the Muslim panellists condemned violence in Bangladesh and cited Qur’anic teachings on humanity. The anchor gave these responses limited space and often cut them short. The complaint argued this approach converted the debate into a polarised spectacle.
CJP said prime time shows shape public opinion and demand care. The organisation sought removal of the broadcast, a public apology, and steps to stop similar content. Zee News received a complaint on January 7. After no response, CJP escalated the matter to the media watchdog.
