India Sends Formal Protest to BBC Over Coverage of Pahalgam Terror Attack
The Indian govt took issue, particularly with the BBC's use of the term "militant attack" instead of "terrorist attack" in an article
India has formally objected to the BBC’s coverage of the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Indian government took issue, particularly with the BBC’s use of the term “militant attack” instead of “terrorist attack” in an article titled “Pakistan suspends visas for Indians after deadly Kashmir attack. This terminology was seen as downplaying the severity and nature of the attack.
The government sent a formal letter to Jackie Martin, head of BBC India operations, expressing strong sentiments over the portrayal and stating that the Ministry of External Affairs will closely monitor the BBC’s future reporting on the incident.
The Indian government also criticized the headline for potentially misleading readers by implying India was the aggressor and objected to the use of the word “militants” rather than “terrorists.”
This concern echoes similar criticism faced by other international media, such as The New York Times, which was publicly rebuked by a US House Foreign Affairs Committee for similar language.
In addition to the formal communication with the BBC, India has taken measures to curb provocative content related to the attack by blocking 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including those of major news outlets and journalists, citing concerns over misinformation and communal sensitivity.
The ban targets a mix of prominent Pakistani news networks, sports channels, and individual creators, including Dawn News, Samaa TV, ARY News, Geo News, Shoaib Akhtar’s 100mph, and others.
Indian users attempting to access these channels now receive a message from YouTube stating that the content is unavailable in the country due to a government order related to national security or public order.
