Some of Zee Entertainment’s popular television shows are now blatantly pushing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image and the schemes that have been announced under the BJP government. With the General Elections just days away, the ruling party seems to be leaving no platform bereft of their covert or outright promotional activity on behalf of the prime minister.
A Modi Biopic, NaMo TV, and Now TV Serials Campaigning For Modi?
Vartha Bharati | 07-04-2019 | 19:44:00 IST
Here are examples from two popular television serials, both on the Zee Entertainment Network’s group of channels, that are openly propagating Narendra Modi’s image and the Swachh Bharat campaign, the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Gas Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana on their shows.
The Glorification of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named
These clips tweeted by @Victimgames show an episode of Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!highlighting the information that the government has built 9 crore toilets under its Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, saying that now Indian citizens no longer have to relieve themselves in public.
Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain! promoting PM Modi and Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan.
That aside, the dialogue writer of the episode, which aired on 4 April, has the best of adjectives to describe the current PM (without naming him) in these words:
“Ek woh aadmi hai jo din bhar desh ki akhandta aur swachhta ki baat karta hai...” (And then there’s a man who talks about the country’s oneness and cleanliness all day...)
and
“Jaise hamari aaj ki sarkar poore josh kharosh se lagi hui hai ki bharat ki ekta aur akhandta ko khatra na pahunche, swachhta abhiyan ki baat kar rahi hai. Aaj ek karmat, sushil, gyaani, atulniya purush ki wajah se hum swachhta ki vatavaran mein saans le rahe hain.” (We have a government today that is focused enthusiastic about protecting India’s unity, that is talking about a cleanliness drive. Today, because of one hardworking, sincere, wise, extraordinary man, we can breathe in a clean environment.)
Another episode of Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!, which aired on 5 April, plugs the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Gas Yojana, while publicising information that 5 crore households will benefit from it and that it will generate 1 lakh jobs.
Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain! promoting PM Modi and Ujjwala Gas Yojana.
Again there is a glorification of PM Narendra Modi with a not-so-subtle reference to the ‘Modi hai toh mumkin hai’ slogan.
“Aapko pata hai ab kuch bhi namumkin nahin hai, sab kuch mumkin hai. Aur yeh sab mumkin woh kiye hain jo hum sab ke beech mein se nikal kar aaye hain (You know that now nothing is impossible, everything is possible. And the one who has made all this possible is one who rose up from amongst us),” says the wife to her husband in the show.
Yesterday i realized Modi has found another venue to advertise himself. i watch "Bhabhi ji ghar par hain" (that's right, deal with it), this TV serial has started to use some not so subtle Product placement/advertisement recently, but yesterday something else happened
— Victim (Heath Ledger) Floperoi (@VictimGames) April 6, 2019
...1/n pic.twitter.com/hClL6PErvF
The ‘Mumkin-Namumkin’ Wordplay
An excerpt of another popular show Tujhse Hai Raabta tweeted by @MautKaPashinda, shows the main characters promoting the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, which has apparently (according to the show) benefitted more than 15 crore people across the country.
Once again there is a reference to the ‘namumkin’ and ‘mumkin’ – keywords from Modi’s slogan – in the show, and a dialogue that says that this would have been an impossible dream 5 years ago.
— Rohan Desai (@MautKaPashinda) April 6, 2019
While Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain! airs on TV, Tujhse Hai Raabta is a part of Zee TV’s shows, both channels are owned by the Zee Group.
According to an insider, though the production companies involved in the scripting and making of these shows may not be supporters of the BJP, they would have no say when it comes to the content that they carry if the diktat to promote PM Modi and his schemes comes from the channel’s top management.
Remember, there is already a full-feature film on the PM titled PM Narendra Modi,an entire web series on Eros Now on Modi, a 24-hour channel NaMo TV dedicated to the PM, besides other media and news channels which unabashedly toe the state’s line.
Added to this, if the government also wants to push its agenda via TV soaps before the general elections, it just exposes an unhealthy streak of desperation in the current establishment.
Courtesy: www.thequint.com
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London, Nov 22: A bomb disposal squad deployed as a “precaution” to the South Terminal of Gatwick Airport concluded an investigation into a "security incident" on Friday after making a “suspect package” safe.
The South Terminal of Gatwick Airport, the UK's second busiest airport after Heathrow, which was briefly shut owing to the incident reopened following the incident.
The Gatwick is around 45 km south of London.
Two people detained during the enquiries have since been allowed to continue their journey as the airport was opened.
“Police have concluded their investigation into a report of a suspect package at Gatwick Airport. Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team made the package safe, and the airport has been handed back to its operator,” Sussex Police said in an updated statement.
“Two people detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys. There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel,” the statement added.
Earlier on Friday, the incident caused severe disruption at the busy airport’s South Terminal, while the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport remained unaffected.
“Police were called to the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport at 8.20 am on Friday (November 22) following the discovery of a suspected prohibited item in luggage,” a Sussex Police statement said.
“To ensure the safety of the public, staff and other airport users, a security cordon has been put in place whilst the matter is dealt with. As a precaution, an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team is being deployed to the airport. This is causing significant disruption and some roads around the South Terminal have been closed. We’d advise the public to avoid the area where possible,” it said.
Footage on social media taken outside the airport showed crowds of frustrated travellers being moved away from the terminal building.
Gatwick said it was working hard to resolve the issue.
“A large part of the South Terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident," the airport said in a social media post.
“Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is ongoing. The safety and security of our passengers and staff remain our top priority. We are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”
Train and bus services that serve the airport were also impacted while the police carried out their inquiries.
In an unrelated incident in south London on Friday morning, the US Embassy area in Nine Elms by the River Thames was the scene of a controlled explosion by Scotland Yard dealing with what they believe may have been a “hoax device”.
“We can confirm the 'loud bang' reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers,” the Metropolitan Police said in a post on X.
“Initial indications are that the item was a hoax device. An investigation will now follow. Some cordons will remain in place for the time being but the majority of the police response will now be stood down,” it added.
