BJP welcomes Centre's directive to Netflix to remove 'Ghooskhor Pandat' film teaser

New Delhi, Feb 6 (PTI) The BJP on Friday welcomed the Centre's directive to Netflix for the removal of the teaser and other promotional contents of the film, "Ghooskhor Pandat", from social media, saying attempts to demean or tarnish the image of any section of the society are unacceptable.

The film sparked a controversy over its title, with politicians and social media users calling it casteist, prompting its director, Neeraj Pandey, and lead star Manoj Bajpayee to issue a clarification, saying the intention was not to cause hurt and that they are withdrawing all the publicity material related to the movie.

This came after the Centre asked OTT platform Netflix to remove the teaser and other promotional contents of the film from social media.

Welcoming the Centre's intervention, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Anurag Thakur said, "The central government's order to remove the controversial teaser and all related content of the film 'Ghooskhor Pandat' from Netflix is ​​welcome and commendable." "We condemn any act driven by malice against the Brahmin community or any other community," the former Union minister said in a post on X.

He said the BJP and the Narendra Modi government have utmost respect for all sections of the society and are strong advocates of upholding the dignity and integrity of every community.

Any attempt to demean or tarnish the image of any section of the society is "completely unacceptable to us", Thakur added.

Madhya Pradesh BJP chief Hemant Khandelwal also welcomed the Centre's intervention in the matter and said any malice against any community, including Brahmins, is "unacceptable under any circumstance".

He condemned the film's title and said attempts to demean and tarnish the image of any section of the society cannot be tolerated "at any cost".

In a post in Hindi on X, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said, "We wholeheartedly commend the Centre's swift and decisive action! Offensive content, such as the derogatory film 'Ghooskhor Pandat', has not only been removed from the platform, but an FIR has also been registered in the case." This sends a clear message that insults to Sanatan Dharma will no longer be tolerated, he added.

"We are committed to taking the strictest possible action against those who demean any caste or community for commercial gains," Bhatia said, adding, "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas is our guiding principle." Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said the word "Pandit" has been a symbol of scholarship and sacrifice, and Brahmins have been at the forefront of nation-building.

But the film titled "Ghooskhor Pandat", which was proposed for release on Netflix, unfairly targeted Brahmins, hurting their sentiments, he said.

In a post on X, Pathak said, "I had requested the government of India to remove the film's title. Accepting my request, the government of India issued strict instructions to remove this title from the OTT platform." "It also directed that no such inappropriate remarks targeting any particular community should be used in films, web series, or other media in the future, as this fosters social discord," he said, adding, "I express my heartfelt gratitude to the government of India for accepting this demand." Acting on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's directives, police registered an FIR against the director of the film at Lucknow's Hazratganj police station late on Thursday evening.

The FIR was lodged on the charges of spreading social animosity, hurting religious and caste sentiments and attempting to disrupt public peace, the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement on Friday. PTI PK RC