NEW DELHI — India has formally lodged a strong objection with the BBC over what it described as biased reporting and inappropriate terminology in the broadcaster’s coverage of the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, according to government sources.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) expressed its displeasure regarding the BBC’s portrayal of the attack, specifically objecting to the use of the term “Indian-administered Kashmir” and the description of the assailants as “militants” and “gunmen.” The MEA conveyed India’s “strong sentiments” directly to Jackie Martin, BBC’s Head for India.
The controversy stems from the BBC’s report on the Pahalgam attack, which stated: “Police in Indian-administered Kashmir say all three suspects named are members of the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). None of the men have commented on the allegations.” India objected to the phrasing, maintaining that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country and asserting that the attack was an act of terrorism, not simply militancy.
Adding to the concern, the BBC’s headline on a related article read, “Pakistan suspends visas for Indians after deadly Kashmir attack on tourists,” which many social media users criticized as misleading. Commentators argued that the phrasing could suggest India was responsible for the attack, further fueling public outrage.
The Indian government’s formal letter to the BBC emphasized its objection to the use of “militants” to describe the perpetrators of the attack, which targeted Hindu tourists in Pahalgam. The brutal assault, carried out by gunmen linked to The Resistance Front—an offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba—left 26 people dead and several injured, including a Nepali national. Harrowing videos from the scene showed chaos as the attackers opened indiscriminate fire on tourists in the Baisaran Valley.
The British government swiftly condemned the attack, with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer calling it “utterly devastating.” In a post on social media, Starmer said, “The horrific terrorist attack in Kashmir is utterly devastating. My thoughts are with those affected, their loved ones, and the people of India.”
India’s objection to the BBC comes amid broader criticism of international media coverage of the April 22 attack. In a separate instance, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee publicly rebuked The New York Times for its characterization of the event. The Committee accused the publication of downplaying the incident by labeling the attackers as “militants” rather than “terrorists.”
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Committee shared an image of The New York Times headline—“At Least 24 Tourists Gunned Down by Militants in Kashmir”—with the word “militants” crossed out and replaced with “terrorists” in bold red text. The post read, “Hey, The New York Times, we fixed it for you. This was a TERRORIST ATTACK plain and simple. Whether it’s India or Israel, when it comes to TERRORISM, the NYT is removed from reality.”
India has stated that it will continue to monitor the BBC’s coverage moving forward, underscoring its insistence that acts of terror be labeled as such, particularly in light of ongoing tensions in the region. (Source: IANS)
