Sun News, the Tamil news channel owned by the DMK-affiliated Maran family, came under sharp criticism after a YouTube thumbnail used an incorrect map of India that showed Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Aksai Chin as foreign territories.
The Controversy
The error was spotted in the thumbnail of a Sun News video featuring ‘economist’ Anand Srinivasan discussing the ongoing LPG gas cylinder shortage crisis. The map used in the thumbnail depicted India’s silhouette without PoK and Aksai Chin, effectively showing them as non-Indian territory.
A desecrated Indian map was reportedly telecasted on Sun News, a channel owned by the DMK’s first family. The map wrongly showed POK and Aksai Chin as foreign territories. This is a serious offense and a gross violation of India’s broadcasting rules. The Ministry of Information… pic.twitter.com/KGq1Lhmj81
— Karthik (@skarthikdotin) March 13, 2026
Under India’s official cartographic policy enforced by the Survey of India, it is mandatory for all media organisations, publishers, and broadcasters to represent PoK and Aksai Chin as integral parts of India.
Stealth Edit After Public Backlash
After the error surfaced on social media and drew widespread criticism, Sun News quietly changed the thumbnail, replacing the incorrect map with a corrected representation showing the complete Indian territory including PoK and Aksai Chin.
However, the original thumbnail with the defaced map had already been widely screenshot and shared, making the edit impossible to conceal.
The channel did not issue any public apology, correction, or explanation for the error. The video itself, which discusses the LPG shortage warning remained online.
What the Law Says
Under India’s broadcast content regulations and the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, airing maps that misrepresent India’s territorial boundaries is a serious violation that can attract:
- Show-cause notices from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
- Suspension or cancellation of broadcast licence
- Criminal prosecution under national security provisions
This comes amid news of DMK family’s Kavya Maran (wife of Sun Network owner Kalanidhi Maran) successfully bidding for a Pakistani terror sympathising cricket player for Sunrisers Leeds.
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