India Gives A Stern Warning to BBC! "Shameful" Pahalgam Coverage in Focus
India Slams BBC for Misleading Pahalgam Attack Coverage
The Indian government has issued a stern warning to the BBC over its coverage of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baisaran meadow.
In an official letter to Jackie Martin, BBC’s India head, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) expressed outrage at the broadcaster’s use of “militants” instead of “terrorists” and a misleading headline, “Pakistan suspends visas for Indians after deadly Kashmir attack on tourists.” Social media users and officials criticized the headline for implying India was responsible for the attack, with general sentiment terming the coverage “shameful.”
The attack, attributed to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba’s offshoot, The Resistance Front, was the deadliest in Kashmir since 2019, targeting Hindu tourists. The government’s External Publicity and Public Diplomacy Division condemned the BBC’s terminology as downplaying the attack’s severity, announcing it will monitor the outlet’s future reporting.
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The backlash echoes U.S. criticism of The New York Times for similar language, with the House Foreign Affairs Committee labeling it “removed from reality.”
India also banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including Dawn News and Geo News, for spreading “provocative and misleading” content post-attack, citing national security.
The moves follow India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and visa services for Pakistanis, escalating tensions. The BBC has not responded publicly, but the controversy underscores India’s push for accurate global narratives on terrorism.
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