On March 7, The Wire journalist Alishan Jafri accused Sudarshan News of using derogatory language against Muslims on national TV. He quoted a tweet by Sudarshan News where the channel used the word “Mulla” for Muslims. The Sudarshan News report was about Muslims who participated in a Holi program but did not allow the report of the channel to apply colour to their forehead.
Despite the Supreme court’s warning, Sudarshan news is openly using hateful and derogatory slurs against an entire community on national TV. https://t.co/9VbdDF6rPg
— Alishan Jafri (@alishan_jafri) March 7, 2023
In his tweet against Sudarshan News, Jafri said, “Despite the Supreme court’s warning, Sudarshan news is openly using hateful and derogatory slurs against an entire community on national TV.”
Alishan Jafri is a journalist who writes for The Wire, The Quint, British state-run media BBC Hindi, Article 14, NewsClick, Qatar state-run media Al Jazeera and other platforms that are famous for anti-Hindu and anti-India rhetorical. Jafri was part of the now-banned BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where the British broadcaster falsely accused PM Modi of orchestrating the Gujarat Riots of 2002.
CMD and editor-in-chief of Sudarshan News, Suresh Chavhanke, questioned Jafri’s intensions and added the dictionary meaning of the word ‘Mulla’. In his reply, Chavhanke said, “Do you people consider the word ‘Mulla’ derogatory? Are you getting rid of this word just as you did with the word ‘Jihadi’? You should release your dictionary. Wire madarsa’s dictionary will not be used at Sudarshan.”
आप लोग “मुल्ला” शब्द को गाली समजते हो ? क्या “जिहादियों” की तरह इस शब्द से भी पीछा छुड़ा रहे हो ? या आपका शब्दकोश जारी कर दिजीए। वायर मदरसे का शब्दकोश सुदर्शन में नहीं चलेगा यह ध्यान रखे। बाक़ी होली की शुभकामनाएँ। #बुरा_ना_मानो_होली_है https://t.co/OmvspzSV7I pic.twitter.com/UuMnQdAcya
— Suresh Chavhanke “Sudarshan News” (@SureshChavhanke) March 7, 2023
OpIndia decided to look for the meaning of the word ‘Mulla’ ourselves. While Google showed the same result as added by Chavhanke, as per the Rekhta dictionary, the word Mulla has multiple meanings. For example, a Muslim teacher who teaches young children, an Imam of a Masjid, a scholar in Islamic studies, and more.
Alishan Jafri’s propaganda in BBC’s documentary
The second episode of the banned BBC documentary on PM Modi started with Alishan’s short monologue where he claimed that calls for genocide against Muslims are on the rise in India. He propagated that while anti-Muslim activities are on the rise in the country, PM Modi does not act on such incidents.
Other Muslim celebrities, politicians also dogwhistled against Chavhanke
Other than Alishan Jafri, other celebrity Muslims also dogwhistled against Chavhanke accusing him of spreading hate on Muslims.
Please take note #SupremeCourtOfIndia https://t.co/7NiA8KMWWM
— Sayema (@_sayema) March 7, 2023
Radio Mirchi’s RJ Sayema asked Supreme Court of India to take note.
लफंगों की भाषा टीवी पर देखिए। बेशर्मी की हद पार कर रखी है इन लोगों ने। https://t.co/Q8OiRYrYs7
— Nisar Siddiqui (@NisarZSiddiqui) March 7, 2023
One Nisar Siddhiqui accused Sudarshan TV of using language of ‘lafange’ (hooligans).
सरकार से तो क्या ही कहें !!!माननीय #सर्वोच्चन्यायालय आपके सामने हे ये ताज़ा तस्वीर..स्वयं देखिये और निर्णय करिए. फिर किसी 'टुकड़े टुकड़े गैंग' की इजाद नहीं करनी पड़ेगी. जय हिन्द https://t.co/mFWGYeYZYo
— Manoj Kumar Jha (@manojkjhadu) March 7, 2023
RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha also asked the Supreme Court to take cognisance that Sudarshan TV used a word to refer to Muslims which is widely used by Muslims themselves.
Sudarshan TV ‘corrects’ itself
Following the backlash, Sudarshan TV then ‘corrected’ itself and said that the term ‘mulla’ should now be read as ‘kathmulla’.
कठमुल्ला पढ़े *
— Sudarshan News (@SudarshanNewsTV) March 7, 2023
Kathmulla refers to a ‘fake Mulla’ or an Islamic teacher who is not well-versed with Islamic studies.
As per Rekhta, Kathmulla is an unqualified religious preacher or a bigot.
This further triggered Alishan who then tagged Twitter Safety for the same.
Cc @TwitterSafety https://t.co/3r5EQ3wonG
— Alishan Jafri (@alishan_jafri) March 7, 2023
It is not yet clear why The Wire’s Jafri would want Twitter to intervene.
