Citing the example of shows like Alt Balaji’s Gandi Baat and Netflix’s Sacred Games, a public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed at the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court on Friday seeking the regulation of content on online portals. The PIL was filed advocate Divya Gontia, who observed that the show Gandi Baat is offensive to women and shows ideas that are indecent and lewd. She particularly refers to a scene where a man is shown sexually harassing his daughter-in-law.
The PIL also referred to the popular show Sacred Games, stating that it uses vulgar language and shows sexually explicit scenes. More importance is given to nudity, obscenity and vulgarity than to the original plot is what the plea states. The demands by the PIL include action against online platforms for showing content with “obscene, nude and vulgar scenes”. It also recommends a pre-screening committee like the CBFC that can check shows and movies before they are uploaded online. The PIL also wants stricter parental control so that children do no get access to adult content online. It also wants the these online platforms be restrained from advertising such adult content on social media.
A Division Bench of Justices BP Dharmadhikari and MG Giradkar has currently issued notices to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, of Electronics and Information Technology, of Law and Justice and of Home Affairs and adjourned the matter to 31 October.
(Source: The Hindu)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)