Rajyavardhan Rathore says government has hands off policy on Censor Board decisions

New Delhi: Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore on Friday said the government has a hands off policy when it comes to decision making at the Censor Board of Film Certification.

"The IandB Ministry kept a hands away distance from its decisions. When this particular film now has come into discussion, the censor board would realise that the final call lies with the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT). FCAT and it is in the government's policy that once the censor board takes a call and there is an appeal made in the FCAT then the final decision lies with the FCAT," Rathore said.

The MoS said that the entire Censor Board and its members were placed by the previous government. "I would like to bring to the notice of everyone that the entire Censor Board and all its members were placed by the previous government and none of them have been changed, no additional members has been put in," he said.

"The extension that the Chairperson has been talking of has been granted to the entire censor board. We have respected the censor board all along," he added.

Rathore also said, "The chairperson talks about coercion, we as a government would like to see that SMS or a letter where she or any other member has been caused and then we would take appropriate action."

Leela Samson has cited the reasons of her resignation as, "interference, coercion and corruption of panel members and officers of the organization who are appointed by the ministry."

"The chairperson talks about corruption, when she was in the panel, she was a part of the selection process selected a particular individual who was found guilty of a scam when accepting a bribe, he has been removed about six seven months ago," Rajyavardhan Rathore said.

The minister also alleged that Samson attended office only once in the last one year.

"We would like to see that letter wherein she has requested for any board meeting in the last one year or an SMS for that matter. She is the chairperson of a board, she is free to call for a meeting anytime, and she has that capacity. I am told by my officers in the last one year she has probably attended the office only once," Rathore said.