Ban broadcast of film on Prophet Muhammad: Maharashtra Home Minister pens to Centre

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has written to the Centre demanding a ban on the broadcast of the film Muhammad: The Messenger of God on digital platforms following a complaint by a city-based organisation in this regard. Deshmukh has sought the ban on the film under the Information Technology Act to ensure the law and order situation is not affected in the state, said an official statement issued on Wednesday.

The organisation, Raza Academy, had submitted the complaint to the states cyber cell, seeking a ban on the films broadcast on



digital platforms, it said. The statement does not specify details of the Academy's complaint. Following this, Deshmukh wrote a letter to the central government seeking a ban on the films broadcast under the provisions of the IT Act to ensure the law and order situation is not affected in the state, the statement said. The film is to be broadcast on July 21, it said.

The home minister has demanded that instructions be issued to prevent broadcast of the film on digital platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp among others.