A popular Pakistani streaming platform has been banned in India for screening a bold web series depicting the Hindutva movement in India and faith-based atrocities taking place in the country.
The Indian government reportedly used its emergency powers under IT Rules 2021 for this purpose and India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued directions for immediate blocking of Sevak: The Confessions and Pakistan’s OTT platform Vidly.TV, which provided the streaming.
According to Indian media sources, the Indian authorities viewed the web series highlighting Indian brutalities on minorities that “maligned the integrity of the Indian state”.
For those unversed, Sevak: The Confessions is an action thriller based on true stories set between 1984 and 2022 in India.
The series revolves around Deep Singh Sidhu along with events inspired by the stories of Gauri Lankesh, Hemant Karkare, Graham Staines, Junaid Khan, and Surekha Bohtmange, and based on the events of the Babri Mosque demolition, 2002 Gujarat pogrom among others.
The series thrills with intrigue and mystery entwined with true events that blur the lines between fiction and the truth, making the series all the more gripping. Three episodes of the web series have been released to date.
India’s government has strongly objected to the series for its highlighting of extremist elements in India. The Indian government’s knee-jerk reaction to the nail-biting suspense story came to the limelight because the series raises awareness and voices on the terrorism and crimes against humanity taking place by extremist elements in India. It showcases how the power-hungry saffron-clad fascists are misleading people toward hate crimes against minorities.
The Union government issued directions to block the platform’s website, two mobile applications, four social media accounts, and a smart TV app.
“The platform Vidly TV had released a web series titled Sevak: The Confessions on the anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and was found to be detrimental to the national security, sovereignty and integrity of India,” the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said.
“It was suspected that the web series was sponsored by the Pakistani information operations apparatus,” the ministry also said.
It also claimed that the web series had taken an ‘anti-India’ stance on key historical events like Operation Blue Star and its aftermath, the demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya, the killing of the Christian missionary Graham Staines, the Malegaon blasts, the Samjhauta Express blasts and inter-state river water dispute related to Sutlej Yamuna Link canal.
“The series contains several dialogues, such as passing of wounds by the Sikh people to their next generations in the context of Operation Blue Star; the 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. In one instance, a visual portrays an Indian television news channel showing ‘Muslims, Sikhs and Christians are India’s internal threat, says Home Minister’,” the ministry stated.
“All policemen in Punjab are depicted without turbans, sending a message that non-Sikh policemen labeled the Sikh population as Khalistani terrorists,” it also said.
The ministry said that the series also showed the Ashok Chakra of the Indian tricolor on fire.
“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, anti-Sikh riots of 1984 were shown to be an assault by Hindus against Sikhs,” the ministry also said.
IMPORTANT
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, using emergency powers under IT Rules 2021, has issued directions on 12 December 2022 for immediate blocking of the website, 2 mobile apps, 4 social media accounts, and one smart TV app of #Pakistan-based OTT Platform Vidly TV.
n1— Kanchan Gupta ???????? (@KanchanGupta) December 12, 2022
I&B Ministry blocks #Pakistan-based #OTT Platform Vidly TV and four social media accounts for displaying anti-India content. It also blocks Pakistan Based website and two mobile applications. pic.twitter.com/AIaFLnIre2
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) December 12, 2022
IB Ministry issued directions for blocking of website, 2 mobile applications, 4 social media accounts& 1 smart TV app of Pak-based OTT Platform Vidly TV. It had recently released a web-series which was found to be detrimental to national security, sovereignty & integrity of India
— ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2022
Govt blocks Pak-based OTT platform Vidly TV and four social media accounts for displaying anti-India contenthttps://t.co/AAXmiBokM7
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) December 12, 2022
Sevak is directed by ace Pakistani director Anjum Shehzad. The web series features Nayyar Ijaz, Mohsin Abbas Haider, Adnan Jaffer, Hajra Yamin, Nazar ul Hassan, and Fahad Hashmi including other talented actors. Based on the true story of an assassin, Mannu, who leads a journalist, Vidya, along a path to reveal the dark secrets of the film actor Jeet’s death. Vidya unwillingly enters the labyrinth of Mannu’s tales, encountering many ghosts of his past. Mannu is navigating life with a story hidden deep in his heart as they encounter Vijay Karkare, Preet Kaur, Arun, Vinayak, and Sadhu. His stories unravel the horrors of hate crime, atrocities, and genocide. As the truth is revealed, both he and Vidya find that their lives are in danger.
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