Despite clarification, NBDSA censures Zee News for reporting on Kanwar Yatra; Here’s how deliberate attacks on Kanwar Yatra have unfolded so far

Zee News, meanwhile, had later aired a clarification based on the Delhi police statement that there was no evidence of conspiracy. But NBDSA found this insufficient.

NewsBharati    23-May-2026 17:01:34 PM   
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Recently, the News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) pulled up Zee News for merely airing news relating to the broken glass pieces found on the streets during the Kanwar Yatra in July 2025. The authority called the news allegedly misleading and communally sensitive. It also added that Zee News had published a report based on the 'unverified' facts targeting the Muslim community 'intentionally'.

As per the reports, two orders were issued by NBDSA on May 19, 2026, in which its Chairperson, Justice AK Sikri, observed that the broadcasts allegedly violated key journalistic principles such as accuracy, fact-checking, and communal responsibility. The authority then ordered the removal of content in one case while issuing a slight warning in another.

Zee news 

One of the two cases mentioned by NBDSA was the broken glass story by Zee News. The media house reported that pieces of broken glass were found scattered on a road used by Shiva devotees during Kanwar Yatra in July, 2025. NBDSA stated that the glass had fallen accidentally after an e-rickshaw carrying glass panels was struck from behind; however, the reporting by the media showed that it was a deliberate attempt by Muslims to disturb the Hindu Yatra.

Interestingly, several other media houses like India Today, NDTV, etc reported the same incident, raising questions whether it was a deliberate attempt or an accident. The reports quoted several BJP leaders who said that no disruptions in the Kanwar Yatra would be tolerated. However, later, the PTI news agency and Alt News fact-check run by leftist Mohammed Zubair claimed that several BJP leaders and social media handles were allegedly spreading fake news and misinformation, and that an e-rickshaw driver, identified as Kusum Pal, 43, a resident of Delhi's Nand Nagri, was arrested for carrying 19 large panels.
 
 
 
The Hindu report later reported that the glasses broke and pieces fell on the street. Notably, all other reports maintained that the police were checking the CCTV and investigating the matter of the 19 panels.

The NBDSA stated that despite this, the Zee News aired a programme on July 13, 2025 (which has now been taken down), presenting the incident as a possible conspiracy against Kanwar yatris. The 55 min debate show allegeldy included provocative questions by the anchor that amplified unverified claims, allegedly suggesting that the act was deliberate and motivated by hostility towards Hindu pilgrims.
 

"In the absence of such verification of facts, it was highly improper for the news channel to conduct a debate that had the potential to stigmatise a community and create communal disharmony," the NBDSA said.
 
NBDSA found Zee News' clarifiation insufficient 
 
Zee News, meanwhile, had later aired a clarification based on the Delhi police statement that there was no evidence of conspiracy. But NBDSA found this insufficient.

"While the broadcaster had submitted video clips of the clarifications it aired based on the statement made by the Delhi Police, those clarifications were less than a minute long and appeared to be lip service rather than corrective action, particularly given that the original broadcast lasted 55 minutes," it held.

The NBDSA further noted that the broadcast had used terms such as "jihadi action" to describe the incident, along with claims about spitting in food. This, the NBDSA said, amounted to linking the incident to a broader, unrelated, and inflammatory set of allegations against the Muslim community. Holding that the programme violated guidelines on accuracy and racial and religious harmony, the NBDSA directed the channel to remove the broadcast from all platforms and issued a formal reprimand.
 
List of deliberate attacks on Kanwar Yatra and Hindu devotees 

It is important to note that several incidents related to alleged 'spitting on food' and attacks on Kanwar devotees were reported during and around the 2025 Kanwar Yatra.

An incident of alleged spitting on a kanwar had led to unrest in Purkaji town of Muzaffarnagar district after a youth from the Muslim community was accused of spitting on a kanwar while devotees were resting on the kanwar route.
 

According to the information available, the incident triggered strong reactions from kanwariyas, who gathered at the spot and created a ruckus. Angry Shiv devotees blocked one side of the road and also attempted to forcibly enter a nearby house. After receiving information, police reached the scene and, following several hours of effort, managed to bring the situation under control. Police arranged for fresh Gangajal to be brought again from Haridwar, after which the kanwar was sent forward to continue the journey.
 
Zee news
Accused Usman was arrested after spitting on Hindu woman's Kanwar (India Today) 

In another case, a hotel employee in Muzaffarnagar was arrested after a video surfaced on social media allegedly showing him spitting on rotis before placing them in a tandoor. The incident reportedly took place at a non-vegetarian eatery in Raj Market, the Kotwali area, ahead of the upcoming Kanwar Yatra. According to the report, the video went viral, showing the employee allegedly spitting on rotis while preparing them in the tandoor. Following the circulation of the footage, Hindu organisations expressed outrage, prompting police action. Based on the video, the Kotwali police arrested the employee, identified as Shahnawaz, and sent him to jail. The police are continuing their investigation into the matter. CO City Raju Kumar Saw confirmed that the viral video led to Shahnawaz’s arrest and that further investigation is ongoing.
 

Another viral case involved a juice vendor who was reportedly arrested after allegations emerged during the Kanwar Yatra period. Police had in 2025 arrested two Muslims, Zeeshan and Mahtab, working in a juice shop in the Nandgram area of Ghaziabad district in Uttar Pradesh over allegations that they mixed urine in orange juice while serving Kanwar Yatra pilgrims.
 
 

The arrests were executed on Sunday, July 13, based on a complaint by Bajrang Dal worker Shekhar Sharma. According to Nandgram, additional commissioner of police (ACP), Poonam Mishra, the juice samples were sent to the Food Safety department for testing for traces of urine.

In another incident in 2022, stones were thrown, and incidents of spitting on Kanwar yatra pilgrims in Hallu Sarai were reported, after which Sambhal Police registered official cases. Several such reports can be quoted in which the deliberate intention of the Islamists in disturbing the Kanwar Yatra can be seen. As per the report by Organizer, 46 cases of 'Thook Jihad' have been officially registered from 2022 to 2026 from across states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Uttarakhand.
 

In the given case, the NBDSA has ordered the removal of the report from Zee News, calling it unverified, misleading, and communal. However, somewhere the incidents with deliberate intentions to disturb the Kanwar Yatra or Hindu Yatra also need to be taken cognizance of.
Kanwar Yatra Delhi NBDSA news media Islamist attack on Kanwar Yatra
Siddhi Somani

Siddhi Somani

Siddhi Somani is known for her satirical and factual hand in Economic, Social and Political writing. Having completed her post graduation in Journalism, she is currently engaged in completing her Masters in Politics. The author meanwhile is also exploring her hand in analytics and statistics.