Conservative foundation demands ban on Netflix, social media platform ‘X’ for broadcasting sexually explicit content
Uday Mahurkar, a former Information Commissioner considered close to PM Modi and the BJP, sent official complaints to the IT Ministry and internet providers calling for a ban on Netflix and X (former Twitter) for allegedly streaming pornographic content.
The ‘Save Culture Save Bharat’ Foundation, headed by former Information Commissioner Uday Mahurkar on June 18 called for the immediate ban of both X (formerly Twitter) and Netflix for broadcasting what he described as pornographic and sexually explicit content that the foundation says are “blatant unlawful acts threatening to tear apart India’s character and cultural heritage.” The foundation compiled a dossier of screenshots from sex scenes in Indian and foreign shows and films on Netflix, and a separate collection of accounts featuring sexually explicit material on X.
Mr. Mahurkar sent official complaints to the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw and Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling on them to ban the two platforms for violations of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 and other relevant laws for allegedly streaming sexually explicit content and aims “to make India the world’s first sexually perverted content free nation.”
Mr. Mahurkar and his foundation raised concerns during a press conference on Tuesday about the psychological impacts of sexual content alleging that there is a link between pornography consumption and increased sexual violence like rape. He presented recent Indian examples of violence including a school principal allegedly raping minors after watching porn.
The foundation also recommends that the proposed Digital India Bill should include provisions for an immediate ban on any propagation and streaming of sex content by any online platform and called for any platform that fails to control sexual or pornographic content on their platform to be banned immediately. No draft of this Bill has been released for public consultation as yet.
Mr. Mahurkar, a former journalist considered close to Mr. Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the BJP also wants the government to unveil a “law of ethics code” to deal with “sexually perverted content” on over-the-top (OTT) platforms.
At a press conference held at the Press Club of India, Mr. Mahurkar demanded that online platforms and creators who violate the “code” should be treated as rapists with a sentence between 10 and 20 years, no bail for three years and “summary trial” in four months.
The dossier compiled by the foundation included samples of pornographic content from over 50 different X users captured from the official X app and over 100 films and web series on Netflix which feature scenes featuring sexual activity or nudity.
A former Senior Deputy Editor with India Today, who considers himself a follower of controversial right-wing figure V.D. Savarkar and authored a book on Modi’s governance titled ‘Marching with a Billion’, Mr. Mahurkar also said during the press conference that access to such sexual content should be regulated through “Aadhaar number or fingerprint or both.”
Another supporter of the ‘Save Culture Save Bharat’ foundation, Supreme Court Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain who represented the Hindu side in the Ayodhya Ram temple dispute in the Supreme Court stated in a press release on Tuesday that, “X and Netflix stand thoroughly exposed for their comprehensive failure and utter disregard of Indian laws and regulations aimed at protecting society from obscenity and sexual exploitation. They have gone far beyond simply violating laws like POCSO Act, [the Information Technology] Act and [the Indian Penal Code] – their very business model is fundamentally unethical to the moral and cultural fabric of our nation.”
Other supporters of the foundation highlighted major differences between Indian culture and that of Western culture in their argument for banning sexually explicit or pornographic content online.
“First it was economic, political subjugation of our people and civilization by invading forces. Now it is mental, cultural and sexual neo-imperialism – profiting off proliferating the Western toxic ‘values’ of promiscuity, obscenity and depravity that are diametrically opposed to our ancient Dharmic ideals of social purity and ethics,” said Ashwani Mahaja, co-convenor of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, a social movement under the RSS umbrella.
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