Thaindian News

New Delhi, July 23 (IANS) All television shows must undergo strict censorship before hitting airwaves to avoid compromising on Indian culture and traditions, says Samajwadi Party MP Kamal Akhtar, who has raised his voice against “obscene questions” on reality show “Sach Ka Saamna”.
“Shows like ‘Sach Ka Saamna’, where questions about a person’s personal and married life are asked are big dangers for our culture and tradition. Such private questions are asked in public without any basis. Who clears these shows? There must be strict censorship for all shows on TV,” Akhtar told IANS.

Akhtar sparked a debate in the Rajya Sabha Wednesday about fiction and non-fiction content shown on television. He said he spoke about the issue after he saw a woman being asked if she would share a physical relation with another man if her husband didn’t know.

“First of all, she was asked such a ridiculous and sleazy question in front of a public audience. Then when she gave a ‘no’ for an answer, the polygraph test results said she was telling a lie. Think of what her husband must have gone through sitting there in front of her.”

“There is no authenticity to these tests. These shows which try to break relationships and marriages should not be allowed at all on Indian television,” he said.

“Sach Ka Saamna”, an adaptation of American show “Moment of Truth”, airs on STAR Plus. Contestants are required to answer 21 questions about their lives after undergoing a polygraph test that determines if an answer is true. If successful, the contestant can walk away with a prize money of Rs.10 million.

“Producers just want to show money and lure innocent people for such shows. If they want to ask questions, they must ask about their professional life or their struggle in life. Who gives them a right to ask questions about what a person does in his or her bedroom?” he said.

“If they remove the money factor from these shows, nobody would go. People only go to these shows for money - not for publicity by revealing their private lives,” he added.

The MP also took a stance against other shows like “Balika Vadhu”, “Rakhi Ka Swayamvar” and “Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao”, which he feels, are not contributing to the society in any way.