Centre sets up review committee to examine 'Satluj' removal from ZEE5: Punjab BJP

Chandigarh, Jul 7 (PTI) The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has formed a three-member review committee to examine the circumstances surrounding the removal of the film "Satluj" from OTT platform ZEE5, the Punjab BJP claimed on Tuesday. Earlier, government sources said that the Centre plans to refer the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer "Satluj" to an Inter-Departmental Committee (IDC) constituted under the IT Rules 2021 for a detailed examination and future course of action. The film, which was earlier titled "Punjab '95" and details the life of activist Jaswant Singh Khalra in Punjab in the turbulent 1990s when the state was reeling under terrorism, was released uncut on ZEE5 under the new title of "Satluj" on July 3. However, the movie, which was stuck with the censors for more than three years, was removed from the platform two days later on July 5. In a statement, the Punjab BJP said the central government's action came on an appeal by the state party president Kewal Singh Dhillon. "The Ministry of information and Broadcasting has directed a three-member review committee to examine the circumstances surrounding the removal of the film 'Satluj' from the OTT platform," Punjab BJP said in a statement. Dhillon said Punjab's cinema and its artists represent the voice, history and cultural identity of our people. "When serious concerns were raised by members of the Punjabi film industry and the public over the manner in which Satluj was removed from OTT, I felt it was my responsibility to place the matter before the Government of India. "I welcome the Centre's prompt decision to refer the issue to a review committee. Due process, transparency and respect for Punjab's cultural and creative voices must always go hand in hand. I am confident that the committee will conduct a comprehensive review, and I remain committed to standing with Punjab's artists and the people of Punjab on this issue," he said. Dhillon further said that while the rule of law must always be upheld, it is equally important that the genuine concerns of Punjab's film fraternity and the wider public receive a fair and objective hearing. He added that the Punjab BJP would continue to engage constructively with all stakeholders to help ensure an expeditious and just resolution of the matter. Several political parties and Sikh bodies in Punjab had on Monday slammed the removal of Diljit Dosanjh's film "Satluj" from an OTT platform, saying the movie compels India to confront one of the state's "darkest chapters" and that history must be confronted with honesty, not buried through censorship. When asked by reporters here to comment that the film had been removed from the platform, Dhillon had told reporters on Monday, "I am finding out the reason. We are taking up the matter." Directed by Honey Trehan, "Satluj" delves into the life of Khalra who investigated the cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies in Punjab during a 10-year period from 1984 to 1994. He disappeared in 1995. In 2005, four Punjab Police personnel were convicted for his abduction and murder and sentenced to seven years in prison. Two years later, the Punjab and Haryana High Court enhanced their sentence to life imprisonment. PTI SUN RB RB