New Delhi: A committee set up by the Central government to examine the content of the Diljit Dosanjh-headlined film ‘Satluj’ has recommended that the ban on its public access through online streaming platforms should remain as it allegedly goes against India’s sovereignty and integrity, PTI reported citing government sources.
‘Sutlaj’, directed by Honey Trehan, depicts the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who investigated the cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies in Punjab between 1984 and 1994, and was abducted and murdered by the state police in 1995.
The film was released OTT platform ZEE5 for viewers in India, but withdrawn two days later with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) citing security concerns.
Even as the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) demanded that the ban be lifted, and Shiromani Akali Dal announced plans to screen the film across the state, the MIB then set up an inter-department committee (IDC) under the IT Rules 2021 for a thorough examination of the film and recommend future course of action.
According to PTI, the committee opined that the ban on the film under Section 69A of the IT Act was justified.
Section 69A empowers the government to block online content on grounds such as India’s sovereignty and integrity, defence, security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states and public order.
The government panel comprises representatives from ministries of Information and Broadcasting, Home Affairs, Electronics and Information Technology, Women and Child Development, External Affairs, Defence, and Law and Justice.
The panel observed that the film’s narrative is not balanced as it whitewashes the acts of the militants while highlighting the excesses committed by the security forces in Punjab during the militancy years.
