Muzaffarnagar Shias demand FIR against news channel for 'hurting' religious sentiments

MUZAFFARNAGAR: A massive protest erupted in Muzaffarnagar on Friday as the Shia community expressed strong resentment against a private news channel for allegedly hurting religious sentiments during a recent television broadcast.

Following Friday prayers, hundreds of people gathered at the offices of the DM and SSP, staging a peaceful demonstration and demanding strict legal action against the channel’s chairman and editor-in-chief. The protestors submitted a memorandum to DM Umesh Mishra and SSP Sanjay Verma, accusing the anchor of a prime-time show of using derogatory language to mock the sacred traditions of the Shia community observed during Muharram. According to the memorandum, in the episode that aired on August 30, 2025, the anchor allegedly made offensive remarks about the symbolic use of horses and camels in Muharram processions.

These comments have been deemed highly disrespectful by the community. Ali Zaidi, who led the protest, stated in his appeal to the SSP that such comments have deeply hurt not only the religious sentiments of the Shia community but also disturbed the peace-loving fabric of society. He emphasised that the mourning processions held during Muharram commemorate the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain and his companions in Karbala and have been a part of religious tradition for centuries.

The protest was held under the guidance of Maulana Arshad Kazmi, Maulana Bakar Kazmi, and Maulana Mohammad Hussaini, with Anjuman Dua-e-Zehra’s secretary and spokesperson, Raunak Zaidi (Shazi), playing a key role. The protesters urged the administration to register an FIR against the channel’s editor for inciting communal discord and disrupting harmony. They warned that if timely action is not taken, the agitation will be intensified.

The memorandum called for immediate and strict legal action under sections pertaining to hate speech, incitement, and promotion of enmity between different groups. Protesters asserted that maintaining social harmony requires curbing such irresponsible journalism that endangers communal peace. As of now, the administration has received the complaint, and the matter is under consideration.