Indian news channel fined over inflammatory Palestine protest coverage
Media regulator fines pro-government Zee News for distorting student protest and using inflammatory framing around slogans expressing solidarity with Palestinians
NEW DELHI, India — India’s broadcast standards regulator has fined pro-government television channel Zee News 200,000 Indian rupees ($2,090) after finding that channel distorted a university protest and used inflammatory language while portraying slogans supporting Palestine through the lens of criminality and extremism.
News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) imposed a penalty following a complaint by Talha Mannan, national secretary of Students Islamic Organisation of India, over Zee News’ coverage of protests at Aligarh Muslim University, one of India’s most prominent Muslim educational institutions.
According to SIO, Zee News presented pro-Palestine slogans raised during protest in a communal and inflammatory manner, creating an association between expressions of solidarity with Palestinians and criminal or extremist activity.
NBDSA found that protest involved several issues, including opposition to a university fee increase, but Zee News omitted principal reason for agitation and concentrated its coverage on Palestine-related slogans. Regulator said this created misleading impression that demonstration itself was centered on Palestine.
Authority also objected to language used by broadcaster in discussing slogans, finding its phraseology inflammatory and appearing to advocate criminal action rather than neutrally report events.
Controversy reflects wider tensions in India over public expressions of solidarity with Palestinians, particularly when those expressions come from Muslim students and organizations.
India has historically supported Palestinian statehood, but political discourse around Palestine has become increasingly polarized under Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which has also cultivated closer ties with Israel.
Mannan and eight to 10 unidentified students were booked by police after raising pro-Palestine slogans during student protests last year.
The case followed a complaint from the district president of Hindu Raksha Dal, a right-wing Hindu organization.
NBDSA ordered Zee News to remove disputed footage, where available, from its website and YouTube channel, including associated links, and report compliance within seven days.
SIO welcomed ruling as an affirmation of contextual and responsible journalism and argued that peaceful solidarity with Palestinians should not be sensationalized or portrayed as evidence of extremism.
“Propaganda cannot destroy the truth. Raising pro-Palestine slogans is not a crime,” the organization said.
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