Indian extremists put head-money on Nawaz

NEW DELHI: Journalistic ethics were violated in India after several news channels broadcast a press conference inciting violence against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, reports Geo News.

At a news conference, a leader of an extremist group, Rashtriya Karanti Hindu Dal, announced Rs10 million as head money for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The airing of the statement, which is aimed at sparking an act of violence, demonstrated that the Indian media had no limits or ethics.

Senior journalist and anchor of Geo News programme ‘Capital Talk’ Hamid Mir said this was not a story but an incitement to violence. “This is government propaganda. This organisation is an ally of the BJP.

“The Indian government was behind this press conference and it pressurised the Indian media.”

Mir said that it is strange that two different Indian courts were hearing cases against Nawaz Sharif. While head money had been put on his head, those who had been terming Nawaz-Modi friends, must know that some people related with his party’s ally group had called for killing him. Therefore, we must not overreact over this type of statements, he added.

We should only tell the world that India was committing state terrorism in Kashmir, Mir said.

Hamid Mir said the Indian journalists, who dispelled the reports that terrorists who attacked the Uri base had Pakistani weapons were being threatened and they had contacted the CPJ.

Senior analyst Mazhar Abbas said this clearly showed extremism had support in India. “The BJP is the biggest example of this,” Abbas said.

He said it was unfortunate that extremism was being spread on the state level in India and this was evident in what was being seen in the media.

On Thursday, the Indian defence ministry told editors “all contents relating to the Indian Army, irrespective of ‘source’ of inputs, and intended to be published, should be pre-verified from the offices of media centres in commands & corps HQ or from this office through your defence correspondents”.

Mazhar Abbas said the Indian media had been infiltrated by extremist elements. It had been proved on various occasions in the past that the Indian media faked stories. During the Mumbai incident, a channel live telecast the interview of an alleged accomplice of Ajmal Kasab, which was later on exposed. Mazhar said the Indian media was promoting extremism and terrorism, which was unfortunate.