The BJP-led Union government’s Ministry of Information and Broadcast has written to Zee Entertainment seeking a response to a complaint about alleged objectionable content telecast on its Tamil channel.
The complaint from the BJP’s Tamil Nadu President of IT and Social Media Cell, CTR Nirmal Kumar, alleges that the show Junior Super Stars Season 4 on Zee Tamil featured children “deliberately making obnoxious comments” on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Scathing remarks were passed about demonetisation, diplomatic travel to various countries, PM’s attire, and disinvestment,” the complaint adds.
In its notice addressed to the Managing Director of Zee Entertainment and dated Monday, January 17, the MIB requested a response to the complaint within seven days and noted that failure to do so would result in further action.
Kumar’s complaint referred to an episode of the talent-search reality show, which aired on the Zee Tamil channel on Saturday and showcased children below the age of 10. The content in question was the performance of a skit by two children – one dressed as a king and the other, a minister – which has the latter subtly mocking the former, who is said to be the ruler of a country named ‘Sindhiya’. In video clips of the performance circulating on social media, the children can be seen talking about issues of this imaginary country that mirror those that occurred in India during Modi’s tenure, such as the farmers’ protests, demonetisation, and privatisation of various sectors, among others. The satirical skit pokes fun at the ruler for his failures and misrule.
The children also note that the ruler receives no recognition from people in the southern part of the country, often takes foreign tours, and wears jackets of different colours. The performance is met with applause from the audience and the panel of judges, including actors Sneha and Mirchi Senthil.
When this show was brought to the attention of the BJP, a complaint was sent by Kumar to the channel and then the party escalated the matter and took it to the MIB.
“For a kid below the age of 10, it would be impossible for him/her to even understand what these really mean,” said Kumar, in his complaint, adding that these children were “compelled” to perform on these topics in the name of comedy. The judges, anchors, and mentors encouraging the same throughout the skit, “sends a wrong message about the channel in Tamil Nadu and what it stands for nationally,” he further said.
Kumar also added that channel and respective guardians should be held legally and morally accountable for the “blatant misinformation passed casually” via children.
In his complaint, Kumar demanded that the programme be taken off air. He further said a public apology must be issued by its makers, producer, judges, mentors, and the channel, and added that the person responsible for the content should be fired.
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The makers of the show have not yet commented on the issue.
Meanwhile, following the complaint from the BJP, several copies of the video clips are being circulated on social media, including Hindi-dubbed versions with English subtitles.
This is not the first time the BJP and its affiliates have gone after a children’s performance. In 2020, a sedition case was filed against the mother of a student and a teacher from Shaheen School in Karnataka’s Bidar, for staging a play critiquing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).