By CJP Team

On March 16, the Citizens for Justice and Peace has filed a complaint to Zee News for broadcasting a problematic and divisive show “Taal Thok Ke” over the Waqf Protest called by the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on March 13 (later scheduled of March 17, 2025 due to Holi festival). CJP asked the channel to remove the show and content from all social media accounts of Zee News channel and website and issue a public apology for communal reportage.

According to CJP’s complaint, the broadcast in question by Zee News on March 16, 2025, titled “Taal Thok Ke LIVE: होली करेंगे ‘बदरंग’, ‘भाईजान’ कराएंगे सिर कलम! LIVE #WaqfvsHoli.” (Will they tarnish Holi… will ‘Bhaijaan’ have heads severed?) surrounded the call for protest against the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, announced by the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind earlier on March 13, 2025, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. It is important to mention that the date of the peaceful protest against the Bill was initially set for March 10, 2025, but later rescheduled to March 13 due to administrative reasons. 

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Subsequently, with the Holi festival on March 14, 2025, AIMPLB, in a press conference at the Press Club of India on March 11, 2025, decided to defer the March 13 protest and scheduled it for March 17, 2025.

The Anchor misrepresented the Waqf protest, fabricated it as a threat to the Holi festival

According to the CJP’s complaint to the channel on March 16, the program “Taal Thok Ke” systematically compromised journalistic integrity through its biased presentation and inflammatory discourse. Host Chandan Singh orchestrated a narrative that deliberately conflated a legitimate protest concerning the Waqf Amendment Bill with a fabricated threat to the Hindu festival of Holi. The program’s reliance on sensationalist tickers and unsubstantiated claims, coupled with the host’s selective questioning and interruptions, created a hostile environment that undermined the principles of fair debate.

This story was originally published in cjp.org.in. Read the full story here.