Bhagwat’s Speech: RSS files complaint against 9 channels

The RSS has lodged a complaint against nine private news channels for allegedly distorting and airing the January 5 speech of its chief Mohan Bhagwat, in which he spoke about the institution of marriage.

The complaint was filed with he National Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA), a copy of which is available with Express.  

The RSS chief had, in his speech at Indore, clearly pointed out that marriage in Bharat was sacrosanct and not a contract which could be revoked or severed at any time, according to the choice of the husband or wife, as the case may be.

However, the channels ran the news, saying that Bhagwat had said that the marriage in India was a contract, which he did not say at all.

The channels wrongly quoted Bhagwat, as having said that ‘women were bound by social contract to look after her husband’ or ‘women were meant to do household chores’ or ‘wife was bound to look after home’ or ‘women should limit themselves to household chores’ or ‘women bound to look after husband’. These comments were not part of the speech and the original transcript has been attached, the complaint stated.

It further added that the broadcaster  mischievously twisted the facts and the news reports were highly defamatory. News anchors made many judgemental comments on the speech. This has been done to tarnish the image of swayamswaks and the RSS, when the channels could have refrained from making false, erroneous reporting. 

The complaint also said that the feelings of crores of swayamsewaks were  hurt, as channels rushed to insensible conclusion which was aired across the country and the world at large.

The channels, in a deliberate attempt, maliciously misquoted him and broadcast the programme with an entirely opposite view and certainly with a bad taste, the complaint stated.

Hence, the guidelines of December 13, 2012, on potentially defamatory content, have been deliberately violated by the channels.

In addition, the distortion in broadcast also constitutes violation of Section 499 of IPC, for defamation of collection of people, it added.