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Censor Board Is Not A Government Mouthpiece, Says Rajyavardhan Rathore

Did Rathore Just Distance Modi Government From Nihalani's Censor Board?
NEW DELHI, INDIA - NOVEMBER 11: Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore addressing a press conference on 45th International Film Festival of India on November 11, 2014 in New Delhi, India. 45th International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2014) will be held in Goa from 20th to 30th November 2014. (Photo by Vipin Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Hindustan Times via Getty Images
NEW DELHI, INDIA - NOVEMBER 11: Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore addressing a press conference on 45th International Film Festival of India on November 11, 2014 in New Delhi, India. 45th International Film Festival of India (IFFI 2014) will be held in Goa from 20th to 30th November 2014. (Photo by Vipin Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

PANAJI -- The Centre today sought to distance itself from the raging debate over Censor Board's moves, saying the Board is an autonomous body and its decisions do not reflect the government's viewpoint.

Union Minister of State for Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said the Censor Board is "not a government mouthpiece".

His comments assume significance after the Board's chief Pahalaj Nihalani shortened the length of kissing scenes and cut some words in James Bond movie "Spectre", drawing ire on social media and from his colleagues.

Rathore, who inaugurated the Indian Panorama section at the ongoing International Film Festival of India (IFFI) here, said, "I spoke to the industry. Censor Board is not a government mouthpiece. It needs to provide certification and not censor stuff. We are very firm.

"It's an autonomous body and I want to advise them to work as a board. An individual's views need not be propagated and censorship should be in tandem with the Constitution," he said.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.