Aaj Tak Gets Legal Notice for Showing Lawyers Dismissing Rape
In its campaign ‘Saare Jahan Se Sachcha’, a lawyer is shown extracting hefty fee from a rape-accused client
TV news channel Aaj Tak received a legal notice from Bar Council of Delhi (BCD) for allegedly depicting lawyers in a bad light in one of their campaigns, a report said on Wednesday, 21 November.
In one of the show's campaigns 'Saare Jahan Se Sachcha', a negotiation between lawyer and client is depicted, in which the lawyer is shown extracting a hefty fee from a rape-accused client, and saying ‘Bachche hain, galti ho jaati hai (they are children, they will make mistakes)’ while taking the money.
The BCD has sent the notice for showing lawyers in a bad light and demeaning the issue of crimes against women, reported Live Law.
According to the Live Law report, the notice sent through honorary secretary Vishnu Sharma, asked the TV news channel to stop the promo of the campaign and tender a public apology without which it would take civil and criminal action against the organisation and the persons concerned.
It also asked them to give the details of where the promo has been telecast and deliver all its edited and original footage to the Bar Council.
The notice states "The promo telecast is defamatory, casting serious aspersions on legal profession. The manner of presentation of a lawyer degenerates, scandalises, and causes disrepute to the legal profession in publish, seriously damaging the image and reputation of members of the profession. The contents of the advertisement of your TV program in toto is against the dignity, integrity and inmage of the noble profession of lawyers, apart from the contents being absolutely unethical, unprofessional and demeaning the whole issue of crim and violence...", reported Live Law.
The idea behind the 'Saare Jahan Se Sachcha' campaign, according to the channel, is to 'Be true- to yourself, to your profession, to your service, to the country, to humanity, and most importantly, to your own conscience' and the campaign aims to promote the idea of honesty.
(With inputs from Live Law.)
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