New Delhi: With 12 members of the Central Board of Film Certification and its chief resigning, speculation is rife that those “ideologically closer” to the ruling dispensation could be brought in as members of the film regulatory body.
It is understood that the government is likely to soon re-constitute the panel after CBFC chairperson Leela Samson and several other of her colleagues resigned.
The government continued its fire-fighting on Saturday with Union minister of information and broadcasting Arun Jaitley stepping in to defend his ministry a day after MoS I&B Rajyavardhan Rathore had tried to stem the controversy.
It is learnt that the CBFC would be reconstituted soon as a majority of its members? terms had already expired.
“Our aim is to form a new, better CBFC, this institution needs to be loyal to government of India and not any party,” MoS I&B Rajyavardhan S. Rathore confirmed.
Sources said the move comes in an effort to remove members with clear leanings towards the erstwhile regime and install people suitable to the ideological bent of the saffron brigade.
It is understood that the Centre is considering several people for the position of CBFC chairperson and members.
Among the probable are Suresh Oberoi, Nitish Bharadwaj (best known as Krishna from B.R. Chopra’s Mahabharat), Gajendra Singh Chauhan (Yudishthir in the same series), filmmaker Ashoke Pandit, actor Victor Bannerjee, producer K. Vishwanath, southern actors Arjun and Sharat Babu, singer Suresh Wadkar and Bengali actor George Baker.
The name of Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher was also considered but the government does not want to appoint a sitting MP.
Meanwhile, Arun Jaitley criticised the CBFC chairperson and other members appointed by the previous UPA government and alleged that they were politicising the resignation issue.
He said she was “non-functional” and pointed out that she herself has said no meetings of the board took place and cited unused board funds returned to the ministry.
“It is regrettable that the UPA appointees have decided to politicise routine issues,” he said in the article Rebels Without a Cause.
