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New Delhi: Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, through a petition, has moved the Supreme Court alleging that the media has communalised the Nizamuddin Markaz congregation in the midst of the Coronavirus outbreak.

The petition has been filed by senior advocate Ejaz Maqbool on the basis of reports on the Tablighi Jamaat by “certain sections of print and electronic media. The petition claims that media reports have “demonised the entire Muslim community.” Further, it has been underscored that this is serious “threat to life and liberty of Muslims”, and has thus led to the violation of their “Right to life under Article 21.”

The petition raises the following law points for the Court’s consideration:

1. Whether giving a communal angle while covering the Nizamuddin Markaz event has violated Article 21 of the Muslim community?
2. Whether such reporting giving a communal flavour is in violation to the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995?
3. Whether such reporting demonizing the entire Muslim community is contrary to the principles of secularism?
4. Whether the government failed in its duty in failing to prohibit such transmission of such programmes where a communal angle was given to the entire incident in accordance with Section 19 & 20 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and also in accordance with clause 8 of the Policy guidelines for uplinking of Television Channels?
5. Whether government failed to stop fake news and communal statements from being spread on social media websites?