New Delhi: The Indian government has blocked a website, two mobile applications, four social media accounts and one smart TV app of Pakistan-based OTT platform Vidly TV. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Monday issued the directions under the emergency powers of the IT Rules 2021.
The OTT platform had recently released a web series titled "Sevak: The Confessions"- which was found to be detrimental to national security, defence, sovereignty, integrity, public order and India's friendly relations with foreign states, the ministry mentioned in a statement. "The web series portrayed an anti-India narrative on sensitive historical events and subjects of national importance, like Operation Blue Star and its aftermath, the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, the killing of a Christian missionary - Graham Staines, the Malegaon blasts, the Samjhauta Express blasts, the inter-state river water dispute related to Sutlej Yamuna Link canal and others," it added. "It was suspected that the web series was sponsored by the Pakistani information operations apparatus. The first episode of the series was released on 26.11.2022, the anniversary of the terror attacks on Mumbai in 2008," the government mentioned in an official statement.
"Opening credits of the web series show the Ashok Chakra of the Indian flag on fire... The series contains several dialogues such as the passing of wounds by the Sikh people to the next generations in the context of Operation Blue Star, Indian State being against the interests of the Muslim community, and all Indian political parties being hand-in-glove in the demolition of Babri Masjid, etc," the I&B ministry said.
In one of the scenes, a Hindu priestess is shown to be declaring that the Hindu children have to grow up to "kill" Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs, and cleanse the motherland from their "filthy" existence. 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.