NEW DELHI: The Indian government has banned Pakistan-based OTT Platform Vidly TV after the streaming of web series “Sevak: The Confessions”.
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Indian media quoted senior Adviser, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Kanchan Gupta as saying “Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, using emergency powers under IT Rules 2021, has issued directions on December 12, 2022 for the immediate blocking of the website, two mobile apps, four social media accounts, and one smart TV app of Pakistan-based OTT Platform Vidly TV.”
It may be recalled that in June last year, India banned 59 Chinese mobile applications including the widely-used social media platforms such as TikTok, WeChat, and Helo keeping in view the threat to the nation’s sovereignty and security.
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Kanchan Gupta said action against Pakistan-based Vidly TV follows the assessment that the provocative and wholly untrue web-series “Sevak” was sponsored by Pakistan’s info ops apparatus. The Ministry said that three episodes of the web series have been released so far.
The first episode of this series was released on November 26 — the anniversary of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, allegedly showed anti-India content.
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According to the ministry, the web series also showed issues such as Operation Blue Star and its aftermath, the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, the Malegaon blast, the Samjhauta Express blast among others, with distorted facts.
The Ministry said that an attempt through the web series was made to promote separatism, disaffection and disillusionment among the Sikh community towards India, portraying Operation Blue Star as a massacre of innocent Sikhs.
In the series, Sikh policemen are shown without turbans.
