Khalsa TV fined over Rs 50 lakh by media watchdog Ofcom

Media watchdog Ofcom has fined Khalsa Television Limited (KTV Ltd) £50,000 for broadcasting a music video that advocates violent action against the Indian state and glorifies violent acts linked to Sikh secessionism as well as a discussion programme that encourages violence towards those who criticise the Sikh faith and legitimises a terrorist organisation.

The discussion programme in question was aired live on March 30, 2019, as ‘Panthak Masle’. Ofcom found that the programme provided a platform for several guests to express views which amounted to indirect calls to action and were likely to encourage or incite the commission of crime or lead to disorder.

Ofcom also found that it included a reference to the proscribed terrorist organisation the Babbar Khalsa, and which in our view could be taken as legitimising it and normalising its aims and actions in the eyes of viewers, it notes.

The Office of Communications (Ofcom), the UK government-approved media regulatory authority, issued the order on Friday following its findings dating back to February and November 2019.

Its order also includes a direction for the channel to broadcast a statement of Ofcom's findings on a date and in a form to be determined by the watchdog and also for KTV not to repeat the music video or the discussion programme found in breach of its rules.

“Ofcom has imposed financial penalties of 20,000 pounds and 30,000 pounds on Khalsa Television Limited in relation to its service KTV for failing to comply with our broadcasting rules. The 20,000 pounds penalty relates to a music video. The 30,000 pounds penalty relates to a discussion programme,” the Ofcom decision states.

On July 4, 7 and 9 in 2018, KTV broadcast a music video for a song called Bagga and Shera. Following its investigation, Ofcom found that the music video was an “indirect call to action for Sikhs living in the U.K. to commit violence, up to and including murder”.