Indian media accused of Islamophobia for its coronavirus coverage

A large section of media in India accused of running shows that appear to blame Muslims for the spread of the virus. As news website Newslaundry’s Atul Chaurasia noted on his show: “The Mumbai incident once again brought to the fore the diseased, sectarian face of channels, because in the background they had spotted a mosque.” Critics have accused a large section of Indian media of blaming Muslims for the spread of the coronavirus, which so far has infected more than 82,000 people in the country and caused 2,649 deaths. Now it seems like the blame has shifted to poor migrants who are moving and vegetable vendors who are now being called ‘super spreaders’, and the briefings have become erratic as cases spiral.” She added: “This is a continuing pattern of blaming those who get infected instead of taking humane and scientific remedial measures like affordable healthcare, better contact tracing and putting data in the public domain.” In the past two months, a spate of false reports on social media and news media about Muslims spitting, roaming naked or defecating in public have been debunked. Among the evidence he offered was a video of a Muslim-dominated area of New Delhi – he conceded that hardly anyone was visible in his visuals of the lockdown from this otherwise always-packed locality, but still added: “These people defy the law just so that the infection will spread rapidly across the country.” That same day, India Today network aired a so-called “investigation”, titled Madrasa Hotspots, on Islamic schools in and around New Delhi, revealing that they misled police about the number of children in their care during the lockdown and rebuking them for renouncing social distancing and online classes. Asked if his TV show questioned why no other Indian gathering has been subject to the meticulous contact tracing done with Jamaat attendees, he said: “If what you say about contact tracing is true, then it’s my request to the government.” “We have raised the matter of every other such group, the media has raised these matters,” Chaurasia insisted, citing criticism of a singer who defied self-isolation to attend functions in March and a BJP politician who was at one such event.