John Oliver’s satirical news show, “Last Week Tonight,” has been a popular watch in India. He makes fun of anyone and everyone. However, the recent episode, which focused on the Indian elections and included criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strangely absent from JioCinema, where it streams.
So what is happening over here?
This isn’t the first time JioCinema has avoided airing episodes critical of Modi. A 2020 episode focusing on the Citizenship Amendment Act and the Gujarat riots was also not available on the platform.
The reason for this self-censorship, according to some observers, could be the influence of Reliance Industries, which owns Viacom18 (JioCinema’s parent company). The company’s close ties to the Modi government might be pushing this censorship.
John Oliver himself even addressed the potential censorship, urging Indian viewers to find ways to watch the episode if it is blocked. You know what he is hinting at.
Regardless, this is a strange and sad event. No Indian should form their opinion based on what John Oliver says but at the same time, such episodes are important to show the level of freedom in India. Now, these things hamper the image of India in the international market and that is something nobody wants, not even the government.
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