Aaj Tak anchor Sudhir Chaudhary has once again stirred controversy by using the term “Mazar Jihad” during a segment on his show ‘Black and White’ to highlight the construction of Mazars in Uttarakhand. Chaudhary shared a video of the segment on his Twitter handle with the hashtag “Mazar Jihad,” which has caused outrage among many Twitter users.
Some of the replies to Chaudhary’s tweet accused him of spreading hatred and communalism. One user wrote, “Honorable Supreme Court has repeatedly stated that a group of media is working to spread hatred in the country and spread communalism. But the shameless journalists of thick skin are not acknowledging the Honorable Supreme Court. Now, these hateful journalists have become a threat to the unity and integrity of this country.” Another user said, “NSA should be imposed on this gentleman as well, what does he do except create communal tension in the whole country?”
While some users criticized Chaudhary for using the term “Mazar Jihad,” others pointed out that illegal constructions are a problem regardless of religion. One user wrote, “This man has now brought the Mazar jihad after land jihad and love jihad. What will you say that the occupation of government land in the name of temples in every city, every region of the country? Get a similar list of how many Hanuman temples have been built overnight in ten-twenty years in UP alone?”
This is not the first time Chaudhary has been accused of spreading hatred and communalism. In the past, he has been criticized for using terms like “Love Jihad” and “Land Jihad” to describe interfaith marriages and the alleged encroachment of land by Muslims.
The term “Mazar Jihad” has also caused controversy, with many people calling it an attempt to demonize Muslims. Mazars are shrines that are important to the Sufi tradition of Islam, and they are found all over India.
The controversy surrounding Chaudhary’s use of the term “Mazar Jihad” highlights the ongoing issue of hate speech and communalism in India’s media landscape. Critics argue that such language only serves to divide communities and promote intolerance.