Jio Cinema and YouTube have barred the latest episode of the popular satirical news program Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, ‘Indian Elections, Trump and Red Lobster,’ from being aired in India. The restricted episode, scheduled for release on June 2nd, is reported to have taken a critical look at the recently concluded Indian elections and delved into sensitive topics related to the country’s political landscape.
While the specific contents of the episode remain undisclosed, the show’s host has hinted that the restricted content may become accessible through alternative websites such as oppositesnakes.com or howtoeatmangoes.com on June 6th, two days after the election results were announced.
This cryptic suggestion has raised eyebrows and sparked speculation about the episode’s potentially controversial nature.
“I don’t know if this episode is definitely not going to end up airing in India, depending on what they do with the laws around YouTube. If you have friends and family living in India who would like to see it, just encourage them to visit these sites,” said John Oliver.
The incident has drawn parallels to a similar occurrence in 2020 when Disney+ Hotstar, another prominent streaming platform in India, chose to self-censor an episode of the same show that scrutinised the government’s contentious Citizenship Amendment Act and explored the ideology of the influential Hindu nationalist organisation, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Last year, a report by the Washington Post highlighted a ‘culture of self-censorship’ within the industry, alleging several proposed and ongoing projects tackling sensitive topics such as religion and caste had been dropped or shelved due to perceived political pressures.
The situation has been further compounded by the impending Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill, 2023, which aims to bring over-the-top (OTT) streaming services under the purview of broadcasting regulations.
Critics argue that the proposed legislation, which establishes content evaluation committees with substantial government influence, could lead to increased scrutiny and potential censorship of themes deemed unfavourable or controversial by the authorities.
- In February 2024, the Indian government asked X to block several accounts that were critical of the government’s policies.
- In December 2023, it was reported that the Pegasus spyware was still being used in India to target journalists.
- Additionally, in August 2023, there were reports that the Indian government was using a backdoor to snoop on its 1.4 billion citizens.
These incidents serve as a stark reminder of the power exerted by the Indian government in controlling freedom of speech and expression and suppressing dissenting voices.
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