MP mulls TV channel, social media regulation

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh government is mulling to bring legislation in the ensuing Budget Session of the Assembly to regulate TV channels and social media to “curb obscenity” circulated by them.

Confirming the move, a senior officer in the state law department told this newspaper here on Friday that the bill, christened as “The Jan Suraksha Adhiniyam, proposed to ban the TV channels in MP found to be airing obscene contents.

Besides, the proposed bill would also make circulation of obscene contents in social media a criminal offence, he added. “One of the key reasons of the rape of minors is mental degeneration (of the accused) caused by the circulation of obscene contents in social media and TV channels. We are very much concerned that obscenity has entered into some TV channels and social media network sites leading to mental and social aberrations in some people,” the officer said. The draft bill is ready and is most likely to be tabled in the coming Budget Session.