UK regulator suspends licence of Khalsa Television Limited for ‘furthering Khalistani cause’

United Kingdom broadcasting regulator Ofcom has suspended the licence of Khalsa Television Limited, after one of its programmes allegedly “promoted violent action” as an “acceptable and necessary form of action to further the Khalistani cause”.

KTV broadcasts to the Sikh diaspora in the UK. In a statement, Ofcom described the programme as a “serious breach of our rules on incitement of crime and disorder” and said the channel’s licence to broadcast in the UK was suspended “with immediate effect”. KTV now has 21 days to “make representations” to Ofcom, following which the regulator will decide whether or not to revoke its licence.

The 95-minute programme in question was called Prime Time and aired last December. In an 83-page pdf uploaded on its website, Ofcom said it had received three complaints that the programme “encouraged Sikhs, and in particular young Sikhs, to become involved in terrorism”. During the programme, Ofcom said host Jagjit Singh Jeeta first monologued on the progress of the Sikh secessionist cause, before discussing the farmer protests in Punjab and the arrests of Sikh activist Jagmeet Singh and his mother.

Ofcom noted statements “made directly to viewers in England” which called on viewers to “travel with the presenter to Punjab and take action”. There were also statements in the programme that “constituted a call for the Sikh community to emulate those who had taken violent action in the cause of an independent Khalistan”.

While it also took into account disclaimers flashed on screen that views and opinions expressed might not reflect the views held by KTV, Ofcom said it “did not have the effect of challenging the cumulative narrative of the programme or reducing the likelihood of that message encouraging or inciting crime in Punjab to achieve an independent Khalistan”.

This is not the first time that KTV has been accused of such broadcasting. In February 2021, Ofcom had imposed a fine of 50,000 pounds on the channel for broadcasting a music video and a discussion that allegedly called for violence and contained terror references.