The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, on Wednesday, supported the censorship of OTT platforms. Home Minister Anil Deshmukh urged the central government to come up with a law. The trigger was the recent controversy over the web series Tandav in which BJP had alleged that Hindu deities were allegedly insulted and shown in a poor light. Deshmukh said he has received complaints about Tandav and action will be taken as per the law.
“MVA supports censorship on OTT platforms. This keeps happening again and again (referring to the Tandav controversy), so the central government needs to come up with a law,’’ said Deshmukh.
BJP Member of the Parliament (MP) Manoj Kotak, three days ago, had urged the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar to constitute a regulatory authority for OTT platforms and, in the meantime, ban the controversial Tandav. He had claimed that programmes telecasted on these platforms are full of sex, violence, drugs, abuse, hate and vulgarity. Sometimes, they also hurt religious sentiments.
“OTT platforms having absolute freedom from censorship has led to repeated attacks on Hindu sentiments, which I strongly condemn. I spoke to the IB minister and requested that OTT content be regulated in the interest of the integrity of India and we are fast moving in that direction,’’ said Kotak.
Thereafter, the I&B Ministry had issued a notice to Amazon Prime on its web series Tandav.
