The Ludhiana Police lodged an FIR against Aaj Tak anchor Anjana Om Kashyap and India Today Group chairman and editor-in-chief Aroon Purie, and the media company Living Media India Limited (India Today Group). The case was registered upon complaints filed by members of the Valmiki community that the journalist had used insulting language for Saint Valmiki during one of her programmes.
The complaint was filed by the Bharatiya Valmiki Dharam Samaj (BHAVADHAS), a community organisation that said Kashyap’s comments were “deeply insulting” and hurt the sentiments of Valmiki devotees across India. The organisation said that the remarks were made during a show aired on Aaj Tak’s official social media handles, including Facebook.
In its complaint, BHAVADHAS said, “The sentiments of the entire Valmiki community in the country have been hurt. We demand that an FIR be registered immediately before the issue snowballs into a national-level protest.”
Chaudhary Yashpal, the national coordinator of BHAVADHAS and a resident of Mohalla Ghati Valmiki in Ludhiana, said, “We demand the immediate arrest of Anjana Om Kashyap. She must also apologise for her remarks against Saint Valmiki on a national channel.”
Bhavadas’ chief coordinator Vijay Daanav, a leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and chairman of the Punjab Government’s Dalmi Vikas Board, stated, “We want the arrest of Kashyap immediately for disrespecting Valmiki ji and hurting our sentiments.”
After the complaint, the police lodged the FIR under Section 299 of the Indian Penal Code, which pertains to acts done with deliberate and malicious intention of outraging religious feelings, and Section 3(1)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Inspector Gaganpreet Singh, SHO of Division Number 4 Police Station, confirmed the development. “The probe in the case will be marked to a DSP-rank officer as per the provisions of the SC/ST Act, and the file has been sent to Ludhiana Police Commissioner’s office as per procedure,” he said.
Ludhiana Police Commissioner Swapan Sharma also confirmed that the FIR was registered after legal consultation. “The case has been registered after taking legal opinion. At least 13 Dalit and Scheduled Caste organisations had complained that the tone and words used in the show by the anchor were derogatory and inappropriate. The probe is still ongoing,” he said.
Responding to the allegations, Anjana Om Kashyap and the India Today Group have denied any wrongdoing. In a statement, Kashyap said, “TV Today Network Limited strongly denies the allegations made in the FIR registered in Ludhiana about derogatory remarks regarding Bhagwan Maharishi Valmiki Ji. The programme in question was respectful and balanced, conducted in full adherence to journalistic ethics and with complete respect for all faiths and communities.”
The statement further said that the controversy appears to have arisen due to “selectively edited and misleading clips” circulating on social media, which misrepresented the actual content of the show. “These misrepresentations must be withdrawn immediately, as they distort the truth and malign responsible journalism,” the statement added.
Kashyap and the TV Today Network said they would seek legal protection and redress through the court, maintaining that no derogatory reference was ever made in the programme and that the network has always respected all religions and communities.
