Centre blocks six YouTube channels streaming pro-Khalistan content
New Delhi, Mar 10: At least six YouTube channels allegedly promoting pro-Khalistan sentiments have been blocked at the instance of the government, a senior official said on Friday.
Information and Broadcasting Secretary Apurva Chandra said six to eight YouTube channels, operating from foreign countries, have been blocked over the past 10 days.
He said the channels with content in Punjabi language were trying to foment trouble in the border state.
The government action came in the wake of supporters of radical preacher and Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh storming a police station in Ajnala with swords and guns to demand the release of one of their aides.
Singh was last year anointed head of 'Waris Punjab De', which was founded by actor and activist late Deep Sidhu, at an event held at Moga's Rode, the native village of slain militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
Another senior official said YouTube has been taking action on the government's requests to block channels within 48 hours.
The official said that the government has also asked YouTube to use artificial intelligence and algorithms to identify and block objectionable content automatically.
However, in the Indian context YouTube was facing problems as content was being uploaded in regional languages and the systems were in place to screen content in the English language.
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Choose faith or future: BJP alleges 'second-class treatment' of Hindus in K'natka CET row
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Saturday accused the Karnataka Congress government of being "anti-Hindu" and following double standards after students appearing for the Common Entrance Test (CET) were allegedly asked to remove their 'janeu'.
A political row erupted after five Brahmin students were allegedly forced to remove the thread, considered sacred and worn across the torsos, at a city college in during the CET on Friday.
Students alleged that the invigilators at Madivala asked them to remove their janeu/yajnopaveetha if they wanted to write the exam.
In a video post on X, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla lambasted the act.
"Is it a crime to be a Hindu in Karnataka? In Karnataka, students were stopped from entering the examination hall for wearing a janeu and were given a brutal option -- choose your faith or your future. This happened last year as well," Poonawalla alleged.
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He accused the Karnataka government of practising double standards and engaging in appeasement politics.
"In Karnataka, we have seen the politics of appeasement. Muslim reservation, a Muslim-only budget, and quotas and contractual work for Muslims. But Hindus have to remove their sacred thread if they want to take an exam, which even the courts have, by the way, allowed," he alleged.
He accused the Congress government of adopting a similar approach in other states where it is in power, while allowing hijab and burka in classrooms.
"It has happened in various Congress-ruled states. We have seen that the Congress party advocates the right to hijab and burkha within the classroom. They say this should be allowed. Even the courts have overruled it.
"But in the case of janeu, they want it to be removed. This is not the first time this has happened. In Telangana and other states, the tilak and mangalsutra were removed. But hijab is fine. This is the kind of second-class treatment being given to Hindus," he added.
Poonawalla said the Congress should rename itself from INC to "MMC -- Muslim League Maowadi Congress" or the "Islamic National Caliphate Party".
As the controversy took a political turn, the college suspended the invigilator pending inquiry. The government also ordered a probe.
The police registered a case and detained three staff members of Krupanidhi College who were in charge of examination checking for questioning, officials said.
A similar incident took place last year in Karnataka, following which the government directed that the candidates would not be asked to remove the janeu while appearing for the CET.
