Kids Show Gets I&B Notice For "Obnoxious" Comments On PM: 5 Things About The Row

Zee Tamil kids show controversy: A row has erupted following certain remarks that allegedly insulted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a television reality show featuring children. As per reports, Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wing in Tamil Nadu has sought an apology from media enterprise Zee Entertainment, on whose channel the said remarks were made.

On the January 15 episode of Junior Super Stars' fourth season, which airs on Zee Tamil, two children performed a skit that involved comments surrounding a certain fictional ruler's schemes on black money and demonetisation, on his wardrobes and travels. The BJP has taken offence to these "obnoxious" remarks and raised a complaint on the matter.

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Here Are 5 Things To Know On The Zee Tamil Kids Show Controversy

1. A skit by two children - who assumed the roles of a king and a minister - on Junior Super Stars showed them discussing a third fictional character who ruled over a country named Sindhiya. A clip of the performance that is going viral shows the children talking about the failure of the ruler of Sindhiya in eradicating black money and taking expensive travels during his leadership.

2. Alleging that the children's skit disparaged Modi, the BJP's IT cell head Nirmal Kumar in Tamil Nadu wrote to the company saying "these topics were forced into the children" and that the channel did not attempt to "curtail this blatant misinformation."

3. The letter, as quoted by Indian Express, added, "Throughout this skit, the judges, anchors and mentors were seen encouraging the same without any inhibitions... Young children cannot be used to push someone’s political agenda as this sets a wrong precedent."

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4. K Annamalai, Tamil Nadu BJP President, too took cognisance of the reality show controversy and said he had assured Union Minister L Murugan that due action would be taken in the matter.

5. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry under the government too has issued a notice to Zee Entertainment following a complaint by Kumar. The I&B notice asked the company to respond to the complaint in a week. As per reports, the channel has agreed to remove the controversial bits from its reality show online and will not retelecast it.