Pakistan-based OTT platform Vidly TV blocked for anti-India web series

The action comes after the OTT platform recently released a web series titled 'Sevak: The Confessions', which was found to be detrimental to national security, integrity and sovereignty of the country and India's friendly relations with foreign States.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has issued directions for blocking the website, two mobile applications, four social media accounts, and one smart TV app of Pakistan-based Over-The-Top platform Vidly TV.     

The action comes after the OTT platform recently released a web series titled 'Sevak: The Confessions', which was found to be detrimental to national security, integrity and sovereignty of the country and India's friendly relations with foreign States.

Three episodes of the web series have been aired to date, which, according to the Narendra Modi government, endanger the security of the State and public order in the country.

Besides, the I&B Ministry suspected that the Pakistani information operations apparatus sponsored the web series. The series' first episode was released on 26 November, the anniversary of the 2008 terror attacks on Mumbai.

The ministry listed several instances to justify blocking the OTT platform. For instance, the Indian flag's Ashok Chakra is shown to be on fire in the opening credits of the web series. Also, the web series is accused of presenting an anti-India narrative on subjects of national importance and sensitive historical events. These include the anti-India portrayal of the demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya, Operation Blue Star and its aftermath, the killing of a Christian missionary Graham Staines, Samjhauta Express blasts, Malegaon blasts, etc. 

In one of the scenes, the Hindu children are shown to be taught by a Hindu priestess to grow up to 'kill' Muslims, Christians and Sikhs and cleanse the motherland from their 'filthy' existence. Another scene claims that Scheduled Castes are forced to remain Hindus. The 1984 anti-Sikh riots were shown to be an assault by Hindus against Sikhs by misusing religious symbols.