Mr. Rajdeep Sardesai
Editor in Chief
CNN-IBN
Plot No. 15-16, Sector-16A, Noida, Uttar Pradesh,
India - 201301

What is the meaning of this editorial slant of Hindu symbols (see the attached image) by your news channel without any proofs or constitutional rights? Your channel which is well known for its Anti-Hindu lineage has just surpassed every moral/ethical ground and journalistic code of conduct as laid by Press Council of India. It is fine and in your very right to have leftist ideology and you may present the news, as your channel often does, through the prism of your biased viewpoint but to slander religious and highly sacred Hindu symbols like ॐ ("OM") is completely unacceptable. You and your whole editorial team has just violated Section 153A of IPC by hurting my religious sentiments and believably so of millions of other Hindus around the world. Your editorial team and graphical team has committed a punishable act and hence, can and will be prosecuted and sent to prison for three years, or with fine, or with both under the law. Such unnecessary extra-constitutiona l media trial and justice when there are no concrete proofs of your imaginative so-called “Hindu terror", when no such case/trial is even subjudice or completed, with such reckless disregard of Hindus religious feelings and freedom is preposterous. Your channel also stands under the violation of Norm 22 of Press Council of India for such nonsecular communal act.

Here is the problem with this imagery.

There is no proof of use of the symbol ॐ ("OM") by anyone found committing terrorist activities, let alone anyone justifying such heinous acts by reference of any Hindu scripture and use of this sacred holy symbol for such purposes. Even if so, you and your team still have no constitutional right to denigrate the sacred symbols as such of any religion. If you can rightly restrain from using symbols of other religions, even when the caught terrorists shamelessly quote from their religious mythological text, then why isn"t the same yardstick applied in the case of Hindus. This is a violation of Article 15 of the constitution which prohibits any discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. And this is a blatant case of discrimination committed by your editorial team by choice.

Such wanton attack on our religious sentiments will not be tolerated and if CNN-IBN does not come out with an unconditional public apology within two days, there will be copious lawsuits coming your way to bring justice to all and your channel to the books. Such KKK tendency will not be tolerated against Hindus and lawsuits will be filed as in the case against the Klan group ("Lawsuit seeks to bankrupt Klan group“) and Kataria vs INOC case of suppression of Freedom of Speech. It will be seen to it legally that your channel does not see the light of the day again to mislead the Indian public with such reckless breach of journalistic ethics to commit an offense against public taste and denigrate anyone"s religion with prejudice.

Yours faithfully,
Prateek Arora

CC: CNN/Turner, USA; I"B Ministry of India; Press Council of India; Hon"ble Members of Parliament;

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