The Center on Monday, underneath the IT Rules 2021, blocked the web site, two cellular programs, 4 social media accounts, and one sensible TV app of Pakistan-based OTT Platform Vidly TV for appearing anti-India content material in its not too long ago launched internet collection ” Sevak: The Confessions.”
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB), in its order, mentioned that the internet collection aired at the OTT Platform “used to be discovered to be destructive to nationwide safety, sovereignty and integrity of India, protection of India, safety of the State, India’s pleasant members of the family with overseas states, and public order within the nation”.
The ministry has highlighted several objectionable content present in the web series, based on which it has taken this decision.
1) The order reads that the opening credits of the web series show the Ashok Chakra of the Indian flag on fire.
2) The web series, the Center says, presents a distorted version of sensitive historical events pertaining to India.
“The web-series portrayed an anti-India narrative on sensitive historical events and subjects of national importance, eg Operation Blue Star and its aftermath, demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya, killing of a Christian missionary named Graham Staines, Malegaon blasts, Samjhauta Express blasts, inter-state river water dispute related to Sutlej Yamuna Link canal, etc.”
3) The ministry said the OTT platform promotes hatred in the people against the government of India.
It highlights several dialogues: The passing of wounds by the Sikh people to the next generations in the context of Operation Blue Star; the Indian state being against the interests of the Muslim community, all Indian political parties being hand-in-glove in the demolition of Babri Masjid.
In another example, quoted in the order, a visual portrays an Indian television news channel showing “Muslims, Sikhs and Christians are India’s inside risk, says Home Minister”.
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4) The web series “Sevak: The Confessions,” is accused of “selling separatism, disaffection, and disenchantment some of the Sikh neighborhood in opposition to India.”
The Center said operation Blue Star was depicted as a “bloodbath” of “blameless Sikhs”. It added that the situations in Punjab, after Operation Blue Star, were maliciously shown with strong communal tones, illustrating the violence and police action as being inspired by religious reasons. “All policemen in Punjab are depicted without turbans, sending a message that non-Sikh policemen labeled the Sikh population as Khalistani terrorists,” the ministry said.
5) According to the order, the web series was intended to sow hatred and division among Indian communities.
“In one scene, a Hindu priestess is proven to be stating that the Hindu kids must develop as much as ‘kill’ Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs, and cleanse the motherland from their ‘filthy’ life”, the government said.
“Another scene claims that Scheduled Castes are being forced to remain Hindus. Using religious symbols, the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 were shown to be an assault by Hindus against Sikhs,” the order added.