UP court orders complaint case against Aaj Tak anchor Anjana Om Kashyap over partition show

Lucknow: A Lucknow court has directed that a complaint case be filed against Aaj Tak anchor Anjana Om Kashyap over an episode of her programme Black and White that aired on August 14, according to Live Law. In legal terms, a complaint case is a plea before a court alleging the commission of an offence.

The episode, titled “Bharat vibhajan ka maksad pura kyun nahi hua?” (Why was the purpose of India’s Partition not fulfilled?), was also shared on Aaj Tak’s social media with the caption: “Out of 4 crore Muslims, only 96 lakh went to Pakistan! Why was the purpose of India’s Partition not fulfilled?”*

The petitioner, former IPS officer Amitabh Thakur, argued the broadcast was designed to foster hostility between communities. He first attempted to lodge an FIR at Gomtinagar police station in Uttar Pradesh, but when no action was taken, he filed a private complaint.

Thakur told the court the programme was “against national integration” and framed Muslims’ decision to remain in India post-Partition as problematic, a portrayal he said could embolden intolerant groups to seek “historical correction.” He alleged offences under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including promoting religious enmity, disturbing harmony, and making statements prejudicial to national unity. Thakur, who leads the Azad Adhikar Sena, called the broadcast “public mischief.”

On her show, Kashyap reflected on Partition’s history, claiming it was carried out under pressure from the Muslim League and Mohammad Ali Jinnah, with the backing of the Congress, while only Mahatma Gandhi opposed it. She criticised the border’s hurried demarcation by British officer Cyril Radcliffe, who, she noted, had little knowledge of India and never visited most of the regions he divided.

She further said that Indian leaders at the time were more concerned with power-sharing than preventing Partition, which she emphasised had been executed on religious grounds. Kashyap then compared migration numbers, stating that 96 lakh Muslims left India for Pakistan in 1947, while 83 lakh Hindus moved into India from West and East Pakistan. Given India’s Muslim population of about 4 crore at the time, she highlighted that the proportion of Muslims who migrated was relatively small.

Her remarks suggested to some viewers that Partition had failed in its aim since many Muslims remained in India. She concluded by noting that Muslims who stayed were free to practice their religion and went on to hold high offices in India — from the presidency to judiciary, state leadership, and even the national cricket team captaincy.