India bans Pakistani web series ‘Sevak: The Confessions’

The Indian government has banned the Pakistani web series, Sevak: The Confessions. It has also instructed to block OTT streaming platform Vidly TV for airing the web series. As per the detailed order, MIB (The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting)  noted that the web series aired on the OTT Platform “was found to be detrimental to national security, sovereignty and integrity alongside defense of India, security of the State, India’s friendly relations with foreign States, and public order in the country.”

The web series stars Mohsin Abbas, Hajra Yamin, Nazarul Hassan, Nayyer Ejaz, Adnan Jaffar among others. The series is brought to life by the legendary writer Saji Gul and renowned director Anjum Shahzad. The web series shows how Indian politics gets hijacked by Hindutva extremists. Among major events, the series shows operation Blue Star and its aftermath, the demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya, the killing of a Christian missionary named Graham Staines, the Malegaon blasts, Samjhauta Express blasts.

The ministry revealed a number of points in the online series as clarification for this rejection. They said, “The web series portrayed an anti-India narrative on sensitive historical events and subjects of national importance. For example, operation Blue Star and its aftermath, the demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya, the killing of a Christian missionary named Graham Staines, the Malegaon blasts, the Samjhauta Express blasts, inter-state river water dispute related to the Sutlej Yamuna Link canal, etc.”

“All policemen in Punjab are depicted without turbans, sending a message that non-Sikh policemen labeled the Sikh population as Khalistani terrorists,” the ministry said. In addition to that ministry also said that the series had scenes that gave a wrong depiction of historic events. “Using religious symbols, the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 were shown to be an assault by Hindus against Sikhs,” the order added.

Furthermore, India banned 59 Chinese mobile applications including widely-used social media platforms such as TikTok, WeChat, and Helo on the same pretext of national security during the past couple of years.