Sudarshan News

Sudarshan News, is an Indian news channel in Hindi.[1] It was founded in 2005 by Suresh Chavhanke who is the chairman as well as Editor in Chief of the channel.[2] Chavhanke was a long-term volunteer of a Hindu nationalist organisation, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, having held multiple designations and was also associated with Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of RSS.[2]

Sudarshan News
CountryIndia
Broadcast areaIndia
NetworkBroadcast television and online
SloganRashtrawad Ki Buland Awaz
HeadquartersA-84, Sector 57, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
Programming
Language(s)Hindi
Picture format16:9 576i (SDTV)
Ownership
OwnerSuresh Chavhanke
History
Launched9 August 2005
Links
Websitewww.sudarshannews.in
Availability
Satellite
Airtel Digital TVChannel 364
Tata SkyChannel 534
DD Free DishChannel 96
Dish TVChannel 679
d2hChannel 322

Chavhanke asserts of practicing ideology driven journalism[3] and prefers that the news-programs over his channel be viewed as opinionated campaigns.[2]

The channel has been widely criticised for blatant communal broadcasting.[1][2][3]

Reception

Hate Speech

In April 2017, Chavhanke was arrested for inciting communal hatred through multiple episodes of a flagship program[2][3] before securing a bail, two days later.

In 2020, Hemant Soren, the CM of Jharkhand, ordered state police to take action against Chavhanke for his communal hate speeches.[4][5]

Chavhanke mentions of having significantly contributed towards the ochlocratic atmosphere that led to multiple police complaints (and death threats) against M. F. Husain, for allegedly violating Hindu sentiments and caused him to leave India, on a self-imposed exile till death.[2]

Anti-Muslim fear-mongering propaganda

Dissemination of anti-Muslim content to manufacturing actual news with neutral overtones, has been observed.[3] Critics have called out the channel as "Bigot" and "dangerous" for its communal-toned fake news.[6][7][8] Hilal Ahmed, a professor of Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, notes a call for extrajudicial lynching of Muslims, who refused to chant a particular slogan in praise of the motherland, whilst discussing the context of Islamophobic discourse in media and its role in creating the actual stereotypical image of Indian Muslims.[9]

In June 2018, Delhi Minorities Commission issued a notice to the channel, after it broadcast a program that claimed a Muslim-dominated region was inhabited by illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators.[3][10][11]

On August 25, 2020, the Sudarshan News trailer uploaded by Suresh Chavhanke for suggesting Muslim students are infiltrating administrative services as UPSC jihad (jihad is war in name of Islam) became viral which was heavily condemned including ex-senior bureaucrats, judges requesting Home Minister. Broadcast of the actual TV programme was stayed by Delhi High Court and the matter is sub-judice.[12][13][14][15][16][17]

Fake News

On multiple occasions, Sudarshan News was found to be spreading fake news.[1] In 2019, an old video was morphed with slogans calling to kill RSS workers were shown by the channel. In 2014, fake quotes were attributed to Shahrukh Khan by the news channel.[1] During Delhi riot of 2020, the channel was found to be spreading communally charged fake news.[18]

In March 2019, a Kozhikode district court ordered the channel to pay a compensation of ₹50 lakh (US$70,000) to Malabar Gold in a defamation suit, after it broadcast morphed visuals alleging the company of having celebrated Pakistani Independence Day.[19][20]

References
  1. Chaudhuri, Pooja (2019-10-23). "Sudarshan News and its history of dangerous, communally-divisive misinformation". Alt News. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  2. Bharadwaj, Ashutosh (14 April 2017). "Held for 'promoting truth', TV channel head is proud of it". Indian Express. Express News Service. Archived from the original on 2 April 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  3. Dutta, Amrita Nayak (5 December 2018). "The Hindi news channel editor who 'thrives on provoking' Hindu, Muslim sentiments". ThePrint. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  4. Angad, Abhishek (10 March 2020). "Police probing Sudarshan News editor Suresh Chavhanke's speech: Hemant Soren". The Indian Express. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  5. Jha, Fiza (2020-03-09). "Sudarshan News top editor does it again, now calls for economic boycott of 'rioters'". ThePrint. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  6. Meghnad, S (28 October 2019). "Hindu TV: Honourable Suresh Chavhanke's Sudarshan News, sponsored by the taxpayer". Newslaundry.
  7. Chaudhuri, Pooja (23 October 2019). "Sudarshan News and its history of dangerous, communally-divisive misinformation". Alt News. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  8. Vishal. "कौन हैं सुरेश चव्हाणके". LallanTop (in Hindi). Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  9. Ahmed, Hilal (25 April 2019). Siyasi Muslims: A Story of Political Islams in India. Penguin Random House India Private Limited. p. 43. ISBN 9789353055127.
  10. "TV Channel Pulled up After Calling Delhi infiltrators 'Rohingyas'". The Quint. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  11. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/delhi-hc-refuses-to-vacate-stay-on-sudarshan-tv-show-after-controversy/story-xVJQ0Zs6aBJB2pjAapyOjO.html
  12. Krishnan, Revathi (2020-09-01). "Not just stay, need action against Sudarshan News for 'UPSC jihad' show, say ex-civil servants". ThePrint. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
  13. IANS (2020-09-02). "Take action against Sudarshan TV, former civil servants urge Amit Shah". Business Standard India. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
  14. "Communal and divisive: Ex-bureaucrats demand strong action against Sudarshan TV". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
  15. "Telecast of progranme on Muslim 'infiltration' in government services: No HC breather for Sudarshan TV". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
  16. "UPSC Jihad: Suresh Chavhanke of Sudarshan TV could never have cleared the UPSC". National Herald. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
  17. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/sudarshan-tv-served-showcause-notice-over-bindas-bol-programme-centre-tells-sc-6607719/
  18. Mehta, Archit (2020-03-11). "Sudarshan News broadcasts fake news about woman murdered in Tahir Hussain's house". Alt News. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  19. "Malabar Gold wins suit against TV Channel". The Times of India. 10 March 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  20. "Kerala Court slaps Rs.50Lac defamation notice against Sudershan TV for airing Fake-news". The Milli Chronicle. 14 March 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
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