I&B notice to Viacom18 over serial ‘spreading distorted religious info’

In its notice dated September 11, the ministry mentioned that “the community has also warned that if the telecast of the said serial showing distorted history, deliberately insulting Maharishi Valmiki is not stopped, then they will hold a series of countrywide intense demonstrations”.

The notice also stated that “it has been further observed that in this serial Lord Ram has been shown to have visited Maharishi Valmiki Ashram and met Luv and Kush which is not true”. The notice added that Lord Ram “met Luv and Kush at the time of Ashwamedh Yagna when they captured their horse and had a war with Ayodhya”.

The notice also stated that “these fictions hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindus and our children question as to whether what they read is correct or what they are watching now is correct”.

The notice further said that the “dialogues and utterances” from the serial appear “to offend good taste and decency”. The words used to describe Maharishi Valmiki “of the particular sect appear to show him in poor and demeaning light with a view to maligning and demeaning him”, it stated.

The notice also said the words used in the serial appear to be “contemptuous of the religious group”.

The notice also termed the attitude “slanderous” towards a particular community and claimed that is is “likely to incite violence”.

The ministry has stated in the notice that no show can violate the programme code of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, which regulates content on television.

The channel has been given 15 days to respond to the show cause notice. The notice mentioned that if no response is received within the period, action will be taken against the channel.

BJP MP Hans Raj Hans confirmed to The Indian Express that he had spoken to Union I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar regarding the issue and had given a letter to him as well. He said that the show has caused an unrest in Punjab and there’s a call for a countrywide bandh on September 21. He said he had written to Javadekar to “quell any further unrest”.