On Monday, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) had used its emergency powers under the IT Rules 2021 to issue directions for blocking the website, two mobile applications, four social media accounts, and one smart TV app of Pakistan-based over-the-top (OTT) platform, Vidly TV.
According to the ministry, the OTT platform had recently released a web series titled ‘Sevak: The Confessions’, which was found to be detrimental to national security, sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the State, India’s friendly relations with foreign States, and public order in the country. Three episodes of the web series have been released to date, the ministry added.
Moreover, it was suspected that the web series was sponsored by the Pakistani information operations apparatus. The ministry statement said that the first episode of the series was released on 26 November 2022, which falls on the anniversary of the terror attacks on Mumbai in 2008.
Moreover, it stated that the show included various anti-India content such as the opening credits of the web series showing the Ashok Chakra of the Indian flag on fire. In addition, it showed a distorted version of sensitive historical events pertaining to India such as the portrayal of an anti-India narrative on sensitive historical events and subjects of national importance, namely, Operation Blue Star and its aftermath, demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya, killing of a Christian missionary named Graham Staines, Malegaon blasts, Samjhauta Express blasts, inter-state river water dispute related to Sutlej Yamuna Link canal, among others.
Moreover, the ministry’s statement added that the series promoted hatred in the people against the Government of India as it contained 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, among others. The statement observed that in one instance, a visual portrays an Indian television news channel showed ‘Muslims, Sikhs and Christians are India’s internal threat, says Home Minister’.
This web series was promoting separatism, disaffection, and disenchantment among the Sikh community towards India: Operation Blue Star was portrayed as being a ‘massacre’ of ‘innocent Sikhs’. The developments in Punjab, after Operation Blue Star, were maliciously shown with strong communal tones, portraying the violence and police action as being motivated by religious reasons. All policemen in Punjab are depicted without turbans, sending a message that non-Sikh policemen labelled the Sikh population as Khalistani terrorists, the statement asserted.
According to MIB, the web series was aimed at sowing hatred and division among Indian communities. It followed with one of the scenes, where 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, it concluded.