New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) Congress leader Randeep Surjewala on Sunday demanded answers from the government as to why action has not been initiated against those spreading a “hate agenda” in society through the media.
He cited a recent video of RSS leader and former MP Rakesh Sinha, in which Sinha claimed that he was asked to speak objectionable words in a TV debate, but he refused, stating that as a responsible leader of the RSS, he would not indulge in such actions. Instead, he said he would become a “real actor” in Mumbai.
In a post on X in Hindi, Surjewala asked what could be a bigger proof of spreading a “hate agenda” through journalism in the country.
He said, based on the statement of the RSS leader and MP, some basic questions should now be directed to the Modi government and the police.
“Is the deliberate spreading of a ‘hate agenda’ on the basis of religion not an offense punishable under sections 153A, 295A, 505 IPC or sections 196, 299, 353 BNS? Will Home Minister Amit Shah and the Delhi Police Commissioner take cognizance of this and immediately register an FIR and take action?” Surjewala said in the post.
In his post, the Congress leader also questioned whether the ‘News Broadcasters Association’ (NBA), the ‘News Broadcasting Standards Authority’ (NBSA), and the ‘Broadcast Editors Association’ (BAA) would take cognizance of this and act on what the BJP MP has clearly discussed in his video.
“Isn’t deliberately conducting debates that incite hatred and inciting abuses on the basis of religion a direct violation of the license agreement of the TV channel and shouldn’t the ‘Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India’ issue a notice and cancel the license of channels spreading hatred?” “Will the Government of India issue a notice and seek an explanation from the channels when their own MPs are confirming it?” Surjewala asked.
The Congress general secretary said that if no action is taken within 24 hours, it would prove that the TV channels and the BJP-Modi government are “jointly running this agenda of spreading hatred, dividing on the basis of religion and deliberately dividing the society”.
“Is all this being done to divide society into Hindus and Muslims to garner votes? Now, Rakesh Sinha should also accept his fallacies and the sins he has committed in the past,” Surjewala said. PTI SKC ARD ARD
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