New Delhi: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India) banned a Pakistan-based OTT (Over the Top) platform, Vidly Tv, for launching a web series with much anti-India content and elements. This has been done by utilising emergency powers under IT Rules 2021. The web series is titled Sevak: The Concessions.
The web series was found to be detrimental to the national security, defence, sovereignty and integrity of the Indian Nation. The web series has featured only three episodes. The series’ first episode was launched on November 26, 2022, coinciding with the Mumbai Attacks, which occurred fourteen years ago.
The series’ opening credits depicted the Ashok Chakra of the Indian Tricolour on fire. The series portrayed an anti-India narrative on sensitive historical events and subjects of national importance such as Operation Blue Star, the Demolition of the disputed structure in Ayodhya, the killing of a Christian missionary Graham Stains, Malegaon Blasts, Samjhauta Express blast, inter-state river water disputes etc.
The series promotes hatred in the people against the Indian Government. There are several dialogues which incite communal violence in the country. The series also attempts to pass the wounds of some incidents such as Operation Blue Star, to the next generations.
For instance, an episode showed an Indian News Channel showing Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians as an internal threat to India. The developments in Punjab after Operation Blue Star were maliciously shown with strong communal tones, depicting Indian violence and police actions motivated by religious reasons.
Additionally, all the Punjab Police personnel were portrayed without turbans, peddling the ISI propaganda that non-Sikh police officers labelled the Sikh population as Khalistani Terrorists!
Further, aimed at sowing the seeds of hatred and division among Indian Communities, one of the episodes features a Hindu Priestess stating that all Hindu children must grow up to kill Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs!
Another scene shows that Scheduled Castes and the oppressed are being forced to remain Hindus! Through religious symbols, the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 were shown to be an assault by Hindus on the Sikhs.
This Web series also represents Pakistan’s Strategy to “bleed India with a thousand cuts.” Releasing such content in Indian Media will cause communal riots and religious hardliners and eventually result in political instability in the country. This will further endanger the internal security of the nation.
“If this type of content is not blocked, there will be a time when India will implode internally. OTT platforms like these can be used as an effective tool for extremism and radicalization and need to be curbed instantly,” say security experts.
