Officials are clamping down on illegal campaiging during India's 5 1/2-week election. A Bollywood movie was pulled, a TV channel censored, and now a web series on the Indian leader's life has also been banned.
Image: Ians
Advertisement
The Election Commission of India on Saturday ordered producers to stop streaming a web series about Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid concerns it could give him an unfair advantage in the country's general election.
The decision follows a similar clamp down on a TV channel devoted to the right-wing premier, and the banning of a flattering Bollywood film.
India's mammoth six-week polls — the world's biggest democratic exercise — began on April 11 and will run until May 19. A ban on campaigning is in effect during the 5-1/2-week vote.
The five-part series "Modi: Journey of a Common Man," which was available on the video-on-demand platform Eros Now, traces the Hindu nationalist's journey from the son of a tea-seller to the role of prime minister.
The latest ban comes after producers of a Bollywood biopic about Modi, played by Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi, were ordered to delay the film's release. It will now be shown after the polls.
The main opposition Congress Party slammed the film's release as propaganda, despite Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) insisting it had nothing to do with its creation.
Meanwhile, NaMo TV, a 24-hour channel, sponsored by the BJP, showing Modi rallies and speeches has also been ordered to get its content approved by the watchdog before broadcast.
The election watchdog intervened to restrict the media content after being flooded with complaints since campaigning began last month.
Under India's election rules, content deemed as helping a party's election campaign is not allowed during the "silent" voting phase.
The 68-year-old Modi, who stormed to power in 2014 is facing a tough reelection. Although he has achieved some of his election promises — boosting infrastructure and helping the country's poor, economic growth has stalled and unemployment is at a 45-year high.
The election commission, which is often accused of lacking teeth, was ordered by the Supreme Court last week to act tough on complaints of poll violations by political leaders.
Any political advertising must be approved by the election authorities so that all spending can be accounted for.
India's security challenges shape society and politics
As the world's largest democracy goes to the polls, it faces many social and security challenges. Here is a breakdown of the major issues that politicians will have to negotiate after the votes have been counted.
Image: Reuters/J. Dey
Caste conflicts
The caste system is an ancient social hierarchy that still influences social norms in India. It is technically outlawed by the Indian constitution, but political parties often take advantage of caste differences. Low-caste Dalits comprise 15-20% of India's population. Many political parties claim to stand for Dalit rights, although attempts at social reform often fade once leaders are elected.
Image: Getty Images/Hindustan Times
Religious intolerance
Although India is a secular state, Hindus and Muslims clash over several issues. Under the current government, fringe groups have often invoked India's Islamic history and the consumption of beef as a reason to instigate violence against low-caste Hindus and Muslims. Pictured here are members of a right-wing Hindu group calling for a temple to be built on the former site of a mosque.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Hussain
Violence in Kashmir
India and Pakistan both claim the Kashmir region in full but rule it in part. Since 1947, they have fought three wars over the region. Since 1989, separatist groups have been fighting Indian forces in India-administered Kashmir. The latest attack, in
February 2019, unleashed new tension between the neighbors. Critics accused Indian PM Modi of using the incident for political gain.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AA/F. Khan
Maoist insurgency
Left-wing Maoist rebels in India's tribal areas accuse the government of selling off land belonging to indigenous tribes. Under a banner of social injustice, they form militias and attack state security forces and political leaders. Rebels often disrupt elections with attacks. On Tuesday, rebels killed a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator in rural Chhattisgarh state with a roadside bomb.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Quraishi
Demographic tension in the northeast
For decades, India's northeastern states have dealt with illegal immigration. In Assam state last year, a citizenship list reportedly excluded 4 million people who were unable to provide valid documents. In January, a bill that would grant immigrant Hindus citizenship in Assam unleashed protest and was criticized by local politicians as a political ploy by the BJP to boost its Hindu voter base.
Image: Reuters
Border dispute with China
China lays claim to parts of eastern India, and the two countries had a border standoff in 2017 over Chinese road construction. Nevertheless, Indian PM Modi has wanted to replicate China's model of development for India. But despite China's rising influence, relations with Beijing are not an election issue, at least not for Modi who prefers to ride on nationalist sentiments.
Image: Diptendu Dutta/AFP/Getty Images
India's suffering farmers
India's farmers have long suffered from sinking crop prices and plummeting agricultural growth. Last year, after thousands of farmers demonstrated in New Dehli, PM Modi announced new schemes for the rural sector in his 2019 election manifesto. However, analysts say farmers feel betrayed by Modi's government and this could damage him politically.
