Indian news channels censured for promoting Islamophobic conspiracy theories
Media regulator orders removal of broadcasts that turned a children’s schoolbook exercise into a fabricated ‘Love Jihad’ narrative, fueling communal polarization
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — India’s media regulator has reprimanded five television news channels for airing programs promoting the “Love Jihad” conspiracy theory, using a fictional school exercise to allege religious manipulation targeting Hindu girls by Muslim men.
The News Broadcasting & Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) ruled the broadcasts violated professional standards, sensationalizing a children’s activity in an NCERT textbook.
Complaints had been filed by researcher Indrajeet Ghorpade and advocate Utkarsh Mishra, highlighting the misuse of a fictional letter between characters Reena and Ahmad.
NBDSA said the channels abandoned objectivity, amplifying extremist narratives without expert voices, fact-checking, or context. The regulator ordered News18 MP/Chhattisgarh, ABP News, Zee MP/Chhattisgarh, Zee News, and India TV to remove the content within seven days and provide written compliance.
The “Love Jihad” theory, widely debunked, alleges Muslim men seduce Hindu women to convert them. Human rights groups and courts have repeatedly dismissed the claims as baseless propaganda.
Broadcasts aired in 2023 and 2024, featuring inflammatory headlines and visuals, including imagery depicting women split between burqa and ghunghat, and featuring names Ahmad and Reena to imply religious messaging.
Media-watch groups warn of mainstreaming divisive narratives on Indian television, with terms like “land jihad” and “economic jihad” used to link unrelated issues to Islam.
Analysts say the ruling highlights growing tension over media ethics in India, where hyper-nationalist programming routinely promotes conspiracy theories and deepens polarization.
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