Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu denied central government involvement in removing Satluj from Zee5.
Bittu questioned why the government would allow the film to stream initially if it intended to ban it.
The minister accused actor Diljit Dosanjh of prioritising money over Punjab's peace.
Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu Slams Diljit Dosanjh, Denies Government's Involvement In Satluj Removal
Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu has denied government involvement in the removal of the film Satluj from Zee5, accusing actor Diljit Dosanjh of financial opportunism.
Summary
Director Honey Trehan's Satluj, earlier titled Punjab '95, based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, was released uncut on ZEE5 on July 3. However, it was taken down within 48 hours of release. Following Satluj's ban in India, Diljit Dosanjh hosted an Instagram Live, urging fans to circulate downloaded copies of Satluj and also said he would be with Punjab till the day he dies.
Satluj's removal from the streaming platform triggered intense political debate, drawing sharp criticism from political parties and Sikh bodies in Punjab.
Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu reacted to the Satluj row on Wednesday (July 8), lashing out at Dosanjh by calling him an "imposter."
Union Minister on Satluj row, targets Diljit
Addressing the media, the Union Minister denied claims that the government was behind the takedown.
"If the government really intended to remove the film, why would it allow it to stream in the first place?" Bittu said.
Targeting Dosanjh, he said, "We should have understood that there is something fishy when Diljit Dosanjh said that the film would be available on the OTT platform for 2-3 days and then would be removed."
"It seems that once they had earned the required money, they (the makers of the film) removed the film. The government has no control over OTT platforms," he added.
Questions Diljit's motives
Further criticising the actor-singer, the Minister alleged that Dosanjh only thinks about money. "If Diljit Dosanjh had any respect for the women in his family, such as his mother or sister, he would not have acted in the movie Chamkila," Bittu said.
"He is sitting in big mansions in LA; what does he care about Punjab?" Bittu said, adding that the state only wants peace.
About Satluj
Satluj chronicles the life of activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who probed the extrajudicial killings and cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies in Punjab between 1984 and 1994. He was abducted from his residence in 1995 by police and was murdered.
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A court sentenced four Punjab Police personnel to seven years in prison in 2005 after convicting them of kidnapping and killing Khalra, PTI reported.
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