The Delhi Police Special Cell has registered a case against MediaOne, a Malayalam TV news channel, and its journalist Jimmy James for allegedly insulting the Prime Minister and attempting to incite riots. The case was registered based on complaints filed by Sandeep Lekhi, a Delhi resident, and Prasannan Pillai, a Keralite.
The news of the registered case was reported in detail by Janam TV Malayalam channel. It highlighted the severe sections invoked in the police complaint against the channel and the journalist.
The FIR followed formal complaints submitted before the police, bringing national attention to the specific broadcast. The police have invoked grave offences, including promoting enmity between different groups (rioting) and defamation.
Prasannan Pillai questioned the kind of journalism being followed by MediaOne. PM Modi himself had stated that the media should spread truthful news and facts. This is not the first time MediaOne and Jimmy James have allegedly crossed limits.
Earlier, the Kerala BJP unit had also filed complaints against the same MediaOne over separate articles concerning the Manipur riots.
The Malayalam news channel MediaOne TV is widely reported to be owned and backed by Madhyamam Broadcasting Limited, in which the Kerala chapter of the Islamic organisation Jamaat-e-Islami Hind reportedly holds a controlling stake and significant influence.
Prasannan Pillai told the media that MediaOne should have followed truthful and decent journalism. He said the channel should not have insulted the Prime Minister of the world’s largest democracy.
“If someone has political differences, they should be expressed in a civilised manner. Here, MediaOne journalist Jimmy James allegedly said that our Prime Minister’s head contains cow dung. Our PM is one of the most respected world leaders,” he said.
He further alleged that MediaOne has repeatedly hurt the sentiments of Hindus and nationalists. Nationalists in the state hope that both the channel and the journalist will face strict action in the aforementioned case.
MediaOne TV is a Malayalam-language news channel owned by Madhyamam Broadcasting Limited, backed by members linked to Jamaat-e-Islami Hind in Kerala.
Since its launch, MediaOne TV has faced scrutiny over its connections to Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, an Islamic organisation, as very few TV news channels in India are operated by such groups.
The broadcasting of MediaOne TV was halted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) in February 2022 after its licence to distribute the channel was revoked, citing national security concerns.
