Prakash Javadekar calls for effective steps to deal with ‘obscene ads’

New Delhi: Information and Broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday stated that more effective steps need to be taken in order to deal with obscenity and vulgarity in advertisements in India.

Responding to concerns raised by SP member Ram Gopal Yadav in the Rajya Sabha during the Zero Hour, the minister said as many as 6,700 complaints have been dealt with.

"Still, I believe more effective steps are required," Javadekar said as he agreed with Yadav that it was an important issue.

Yadav demanded a ban on such advertisements to protect culture from bad influences.

The SP member said there was a rise in obscenity and vulgarity in advertisements shown in electronic as well as print media, including magazines.

He said it was even difficult to watch news shows on television along with the family because of such advertisements shown during breaks.

The senior SP member said the country was moving towards a "moral crisis" and the spread of nudity and alcoholism was on the rise.

According to him, vulgarity was responsible for the increasing crime against women.

Earlier his party colleague, Jaya Bachchan also raised the issue of rising crime against women and gender inequality. She cited official data to make her point.

Javadekar had earlier condemned the attack on a woman forest official in Telangana. The forest official, Anita was allegedly attacked by the brother of a Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) lawmaker in Asifabad district.

"We are taking it very seriously because it cannot be tolerated. We as regulators will do whatever is possible," he told the Rajya Sabha. A gang of 30 people led by TRS lawmaker Koneru Konappa's brother Konaru Krishna attacked forest officials, including woman officer.

Anita had gone to Sarasala village to plant saplings on a piece of land allotted for afforestation near Kaleshwaram project in Asifabad on Sunday.

Read Exclusive COVID-19 Coronavirus News updates, at MyNation.