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Millat Times is an Indian digital news platform that publishes news and analysis in Urdu, Hindi, and English. Founded in 2016 by journalist Shams Tabrez Qasmi, it is headquartered in New Delhi. The platform covers a wide range of topics, including politics, social issues, minority rights, and international affairs. Known for its focus on stories it states are underrepresented in mainstream media, Millat Times has expanded its digital presence through a website, a YouTube channel, and various social media platforms.
Since its inception, Millat Times has received attention for its coverage of communal violence, minority issues, and fact-checking reports. It has also faced challenges, including social media restrictions and legal notices related to its reporting. Despite these challenges, the platform has been recognized by some journalists and public figures for what they describe as its contributions to independent and alternative media in India.
Initially, it started as an Urdu-language digital news platform, and in April 2016, it launched an English edition. Muhammad Irshad Ayub served as one of the founding members and as the first editor of the English portal.[6] It later expanded to include a Hindi edition as well.[1][7]
In 2017, it launched a YouTube channel under the same name. The channel's first interview featured Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi. As of December 2020, some videos had over one million views, and the channel had more than 800,000 subscribers.[1]
Millat Times' previous logo (as of 2019)Millat Times' old logo (2017)
Content and coverage
Millat Times covers various topics, including politics, social issues, minority rights, and global affairs. Millat Times states that it focuses on stories which it says receive less attention in mainstream media.[1][8]
In 2018, Millat Times reported on communal violence in Sitamarhi, Bihar, including the alleged lynching of an 80-year-old man, Zainul Abideen Ansari. Following the publication of a video report by Millat Times, local police issued a notice to the platform, citing concerns over public order.[9]
In June 2021, Newslaundry cited a video interview published by Millat Times in its report on the arrest of Islamic scholar Umar Gautam. In the interview, a convert to Islam stated that his conversion had been voluntary, offering an alternative account to allegations of forced conversions.[11]
In June 2022, during the by-elections in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, Millat Times shared a video showing Muslim voters alleging that they were stopped by police from casting their votes. The Wire cited this video in its report, noting that Millat Times reported that the original uploader of the video was taken into custody and the post deleted from his Facebook page.[12]
In March 2023, Millat Times published a report debunking claims that Shahi ImamSyed Ahmed Bukhari had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The report clarified that the viral video actually showed the Imam attending a sanitation-related event alongside BJP MP Harsh Vardhan.[13]
Millat Times has also published fact-checking reports. In April 2023, multiple media outlets, including Times of India and Economic Times, misidentified a photograph as that of Asad Ahmed, son of Atiq Ahmed. Millat Times' editor, Shams Tabrez Qasmi, was also linked to the misidentified individual in the reports.[14]
Digital presence
Millat Times operates a website and a YouTube channel. It also engages audiences via Facebook and other social media platforms. Millat Times states that its readership extends beyond India, including the Middle East, the UK, and the US.[1]
A 2024 study categorized Millat Times as one of several independent digital media platforms that identify with the Muslim community, while others opt for neutral branding, which the study suggested was to avoid stigmatization.[15]
Recognition and events
In January 2025, Millat Times celebrated its 9th anniversary at the Press Club of India. The event featured notable figures such as former Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid, Rajya Sabha MP Imran Pratapgarhi, former MP Mohammad Adeeb, and journalist Bhasha Singh. Speakers at the event, as reported by the sources, praised Millat Times for its contributions to independent journalism and alternative media in India.[16][17]
Challenges and censorship
Millat Times has reported facing multiple challenges, including legal notices and social media restrictions. In recent years, Millat Times has reported facing legal notices and social media restrictions, including the suspension of its Facebook page, which had over a million followers.[1]
In October 2018, during the communal violence in Sitamarhi, Bihar, Millat Times published a video of the attack on Zainul Haq Ansari, following which Patna Police issued a notice to the media platform.[9][18]
In April 2021, a photo circulated on the Millat Times Facebook page purportedly showed a COVID-19 patient in Patna, India, being transported on a motorcycle with an oxygen cylinder. However, according to AFP Fact Check, the image was originally taken in Barishal, Bangladesh, and not in India. The AFP report included a comparison showing two versions of the image: one labeled “original post” and another marked “misleading post,” which featured the Millat Times logo, indicating that the outlet had shared the content in a misrepresented context.[19]
In December 2021, Facebook deleted the official page of Millat Times, which had over one million followers, without any prior notice. The move drew criticism from supporters and triggered demands for its restoration.[20]
In April 2021, YouTube blocked Millat Times' channel for 90 days after it uploaded a video on lockdown protests by daily wage workers in Maharashtra, citing "medical misinformation." Editor Shams Tabrez Qasmi defended the video as factual and alleged that platforms like YouTube and Facebook censored small media outlets covering sensitive issues.[21][22]
In 2022, editor Shams Tabrez Qasmi was charged for sharing videos of communal violence in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, without being given any official notice.[23] A report by Global Voices Advox mentioned that Qasmi and his colleagues have faced harassment and abuse, which Qasmi has stated he attributes to their Muslim identity.[24][25][26]
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