Jamia Alumni Association files police complaint against Sudarshan TV Editor

The Alumni Association of Jamia Millia Islamia (AAJMI) on Friday filed a police complaint against Noida based Sudarshan TV channel Editor-in-chief Suresh Chavhanke for airing objectionable content in a TV promo and demanded immediate action against him under the relevant laws. The complaint was filed in Jamia Nagar Police station in South East Delhi.

Earlier in the day on Friday, the Delhi High Court while issuing notice on a petition against Sudarshan TV's upcoming show on Muslims clearing the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination, also temporarily stayed the broadcast of the show.

In the police complaint, the Association said that the promotional tweets for the programme by Suresh Chavhanke were dangerous for the integrity of the nation and was an attempt to divide the people on the basis of religion. The show also raised questions about the students of JMI who cleared the UPSC exam after training at Jamia's Residential Coaching Academy, the complaint said.

On Thursday, Jamia Millia Islamia wrote to the Education Ministry, informing it about the issue and requesting it to take appropriate action.

"Sudarshan TV has not only tried to tarnish the image of the university and a particular community but that of the Union Public Service Commission too," Ahmed Azeem, Jamia Millia islamia PRO said.

The development came after Sudarshan TV, in a promo anchored by its Editor-in-Chief Suresh Chavhanke, was seen raising questions about the entry of Muslims into the bureaucracy through the UPSC exam.

Chavhanke also tweeted the promo tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the RSS on August 25.

Terming Muslims "intruders" into the bureaucracy, he questioned how members of the community are clearing the prestigious civil services exam in large numbers. He referred to students of Jamia's Residential Coaching Academy as "Jihadis of Jamia" and created the hashtag UPSC_Jihad.

Thirty students who had received training at Jamia's Residential Coaching Academy have cleared the UPSC Civil Services Exam of 2019. Almost 50 percent of them are non-Muslims.

Jamia Millia Islamia's Residential Coaching Academy provides free coaching to Civil Services exam aspirants. This facility is exclusively open for candidates belonging to minority, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe categories. Women candidates are also eligible to avail this opportunity in which Jamia offers free coaching along with hostel facility.