UK Slaps Hefty Fine On Indian TV Channel For Hate Speech Against Pakistan

United Kingdom's (UK) communication service regulator Ofcom slapped a hefty fine of £20,000 on Indian TV Channel named Republic Bharat TV for broadcasting hate speech against Pakistan on Tuesday.

The fine was imposed on Arnab Goswami’s show ‘Poochta Hai Bharat’. The episode in concern is from 6^th September, 2019 where the controversial Indian journalist Arnab Goswami targeted Pakistan.

The reason of fine is breach of Ofcom’s Broadcasting code. The show did it by making unfavourable comments against Pakistan and Pakistanis.

The episode of the show ‘Poochta Hai Bharat’ in question was discussing Indian mission to moon i.e. Chandrayaan 2.

The guests and the hosts abused and accused all Pakistanis of being terrorists, thieves, and beggars.

Hence the show was found guilty of spread hate speech against Pakistanis because of their ethnicity.

“Their scientists, doctors, their leaders, politicians all are terrorists. Even their sports people”; “every child is a terrorist over there. Every child is a terrorist. You are dealing with a terrorist entity”, was said on the ‘Poochta Hai Bharat’, as quoted by ARY News.

Another guests called Pakistani scientists ‘thieves’ and yet another used ‘beggars’ word for them.

As quoted by ARY, the controversial host was seen saying, “We make scientists, you make terrorists.”

“We considered these statements to be expressions of hatred based on intolerance of Pakistani people based on their nationality alone, and that the broadcast of these statements spread, incited, promoted and justified such intolerance towards Pakistani people among viewers,” Ofcom ruled, as quoted by ARY.

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Even though the Republic Bharat TV apologised 280 times in both English and Hindi, Ofcom still ruled against them.