NDA Govt Reconstitue CBFC Monday Jan 19,2015

The Union Government on Monday Jan 19,2015 appointed noted film maker Pahlaj Nihalani as the new chief of the Central Board of Film Certification, and packed the censor board with Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ideologues and saffron camp sympathisers

Pahlaj Nihalani, elder brother of wellknown film director Govind Nihalani, had produced a full-length music video titled ‘Har Ghar Modi, Ghar Ghar Modi’ during the campaign for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. 

Pahlaj Nihalani is known for producing blockbusters Aankhen, Talaash and Shola aur Shabnam. The other members of the new censor board have similar credentials. 

Dr. Chandra Prakash Dwivedi, who is better known as ‘Chanakya’ for his character in the tele-serial by the same name, had recently praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. 

Ramesh Patange, a dalit activist belonging to RSS, has also been appointed a member of the Central Board of Film Certification. 

BJP leader Vani Tripathi Tikoo, who also has been appointed as censor board member, was an actor. 

Another member, well-known Tamil dramatist and comedian S. Ve Shekhar, had joined BJP ahead of 2014 general elections. 

Another film producer, Ashoke Pandit, is also one of the leading BJP sympathisers in Bollywood and has now been appointed as the board’s member. 

 

The other members of the board are: George Baker, an actor from West Bengal who has contested election on BJP ticket; writer Mihir Bhuta; Prof. Syed Abdul Bari; and Ms. Jeevitha. 

Note

The CBFC is a statutory body and the Union Govt appoint members for the board

The controversy arose after the film “MSG, the Messenger of God” starring controversial Dera Sachcha Sauda sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was cleared by the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal despite objections of the Censor board. 

The resignation of Censor Board chief Leela Samson over the issue indicated that she saw the approval by the tribunal as an encroachment over the domain of the board. Samson has also alleged “interference, coercion and corruption” behind the approval for the film thereby casting aspersions on the I&B Ministry.

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley had slammed the former censor board chief Leela Samson and rubbished her allegations that the government was interfering with the work of the film certification body. 

After slamming the outgoing censor board chief Leela Samson and other members of the panel as “rebels without a cause” for quitting over alleged Government interference, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry moved with speed to reconstitute CBFC