The Aaj Tak news channel was fined ₹75,000 by the News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) for breaching standards of objectivity and neutrality in its coverage of a statement made by former US President Barack Obama. Obama had remarked on the disenfranchisement of minorities in India, suggesting that India could face fragmentation if it does not safeguard the rights of ethnic minorities.
NBDSA Chairperson Justice AK Sikri remarked that during the coverage and critique of Obama’s statement, anchor Sudhir Chaudhary crossed a line by introducing an irrelevant narrative and linking Obama’s remarks to separatist organizations and extremist groups, using terms like “Tukde Tukde Gang”, “Khalistani in Panjab”, and “Pakistani supporters.”
“In the disputed broadcast, the broadcaster strayed from discussing Mr. Obama’s statement and instead utilized terms such as ‘Tukde Tukde Gang’, ‘Khalistani in Panjab’, and ‘Pakistani supporters’. This departure from the focal point failed to handle a contentious issue with the requisite sensitivity and impartiality,” the order stated.
Additionally, NBDSA noted that associating Obama’s statement with separatist organizations and extremist factions constituted a severe misrepresentation and breached the principles of objectivity and neutrality, according to the authority’s findings.
The ruling was issued based on a complaint filed by Utkarsh Mishra regarding the program ‘Black and White’, which was broadcasted by Aaj Tak on June 26, 2023. During the program, Chaudhary was scrutinizing Barack Obama’s statement made to CNN in an interview coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official state visit to the United States of America (USA).
In the interview, when questioned about how Joe Biden should approach leaders like Chinese President Xi Jinping and PM Modi, whom he referred to as “autocratic… illiberal democrats”, Barack Obama expressed his belief that if the rights of ethnic minorities in India are not safeguarded, there is a significant possibility of India experiencing internal fragmentation.
“And we have seen what happens when you start getting into large internal conflicts… That would be contrary to the interests not only of Muslim India, but also Hindu India. I think it’s important to be able to talk about these things honestly,” he had said.
As per the complainant, the broadcast by Aaj Tak grossly mischaracterized the statement made by Obama and attributed it to the “Tukde Tukde Gang”, “separatist and terrorist movements like Khalistan” and prejudiced the viewers’ understanding of the issue.
The complainant argued that the broadcast violated principles of neutrality and objectivity as outlined in the Specific Guidelines for Reportage, Guidelines G, H, and K within the Specific Guidelines for Anchors conducting Programs including Debates, as well as the Guidelines for Prevention of Hate Speech.
The complainant asserted that the term “pulling apart” was depicted (in the broadcast) solely as a call for partition by separatists, and criticism regarding the disenfranchisement of Muslims was presented in an excessively binary, extremist, and simplistic manner.
Furthermore, the complainant reiterated that this viewpoint was inaccurately characterized and attributed to the “Tukde Tukde Gang”, separatist factions, and foreign intelligence agencies, which Chaudhary attempted to contrast with the notion that Modi is advocating for minority rights and strengthening cultural ties with Middle Eastern countries, as evidenced by improvements in trade relations.
Aaj Tak, on the other hand, argued that disagreeing with the view expressed in the broadcast was hardly a ground for a challenge.
The channel highlighted that Obama was a former head of State and not an ordinary citizen and that his statement had become the subject of a huge controversy with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman weighing in on it as being “hypocritical.”
Aaj Tak contended that Chaudhary did not liken Obama to the “tukde tukde gang” but simply pointed out that the language used by Obama was commonly associated with separatist organizations, Khalistanis, and terrorists advocating for separation and secession.
Additionally, the network noted that unfortunately, phrases like “tukde tukde gang” and “urban naxals” have become ingrained in language, including media discourse, but argued that there was no outright prohibition on using such terms.
NBDSA observed that Chaudhary’s linking of Obama’s statement to separatist organizations contravened the principles of objectivity and neutrality.
“There would have been no issue with the impugned had the anchor confined its analysis only to reporting the Statement made by Mr. Obama or criticising it. However, in the impugned broadcast, while doing so the anchor went totally stringent and overboard by bringing in a totally unconnected narrative,” the NBDSA order stated.
Therefore, apart from finding a violation of the principles of objectivity and neutrality as enshrined in the Code of Ethics & Broadcasting Standards, NBDSA also found that the broadcast had violated the Specific Guidelines for Anchors conducting Programmes including Debates, which states that “all programmes whether debates or otherwise must be presented in an impartial, objective and neutral manner and news should not be selected or designed to promote any particular belief, opinion or interests.”
Consequently, NBDSA opted to levy a fine of ₹75,000 on Aaj Tak and advised the channel to guarantee that in forthcoming broadcasts, contentious topics are presented equitably, with a steadfast commitment to principles of neutrality, impartiality, and objectivity.
Furthermore, NBDSA instructed Aaj Tak to edit the video of the broadcast, removing the objectionable segments. If editing is not feasible, the channel is directed to remove the video entirely from all its platforms, channels, and websites.
