GUWAHATI: The Indian government has strongly protested against the BBC’s recent coverage of the Pahalgam terror attack, objecting to the broadcaster's description of the incident as a "militant attack" instead of "terrorist" while also banning several Pakistan-based YouTube channels.
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According to media sources, the External Publicity and Public Diplomacy Division of the MEA conveyed India’s concerns to Martin, emphasising the government's serious view of the BBC’s reporting. Officials have also stated that the MEA will closely monitor the BBC’s future reportage.
The controversy stems from a BBC article titled "Pakistan suspends visas for Indians after deadly Kashmir attack," which linked Pakistan's retaliatory measures to the recent attack that killed 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. The BBC’s characterisation of the incident mirrors language that previously drew criticism from a US Senate panel, which reprimanded The New York Times for similarly labelling the attackers as "militants."
In the wake of the Pahalgam incident, India has also taken several steps to counter misinformation and inflammatory content originating from across the border. Based on recommendations from the Ministry of Home Affairs, authorities have banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, collectively followed by over 63 million subscribers. Among the banned accounts is the channel of former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar, which had amassed 3.5 million subscribers.
A full list of the banned channels is provided below.
