India's Kari Sena offers Rs1 billion reward to whoever 'cuts tongues' of Tandav makers

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Web Desk
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Supporters of India’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party demonstrated against the Amazon series “Tandav” in Mumbai. — AFP/File

  • Indian organisation Kari Sena resorts to violent threats against Tandav makers
  • Kari Sena announces to give Rs1 crore to anyone who slits tongue of those who insults Hindu Gods
  • An apology is not enough and it will not be accepted, says Maharashtra Karni Sena chief Ajay Sengar


An Indian organisation, Kari Sena, has issued violent threats against an Amazon Prime show Tandav starring Saif Ali Khan and Dimple Kapadia among others. 

The ZeeNews reported on Monday that Maharashtra Karni Sena chief Ajay Sengar has offered Rs1 billion reward to "anyone who slits tongue of those who insults Hindu gods and goddesses in the web-series."

Noting that even though 'Tandav' makers of the web series had apologised, the Karni Sena leader said that it was still not enough and it will not be accepted.

Earlier, the series' team had issued an apology and said: "'Tandav' is a work of fiction and any resemblance to acts and persons and events is purely coincidental. The cast and crew did not have any intention to offend the sentiments of any individual, caste, community, race, religion or religious beliefs or insult or outrage any institution, political party or person, living or dead. The cast and crew of 'Tandav' take cognisance of the concerns expressed by the people and unconditionally apologise if it has unintentionally hurt anybody's sentiments.”

The apology came after a local official from India’s ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), registered a police complaint against web series and threatened to launch a protest at the Amazon's office in Mumbai.

Protests against Amazon.com were organised to warn it not to show scenes insulting Hindu gods and goddesses, Ram Kadam, a BJP member of the Maharashtra legislative assembly, said in a tweet after filing the police complaint in Mumbai.

The political drama “Tandav” also drew the ire of other lawmakers from the Narendra Modi-led party, causing fresh controversy for the e-commerce giant which last year had to withdraw dozens of rugs and doormats depicting Hindu gods from its international Amazon.com platform after a backlash in India.

BJP Member of Parliament Manoj Kotak, in a letter to India’s Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar dated Saturday, said that the makers of Tandav “have deliberately mocked Hindu gods and disrespected Hindu religious sentiments”.

He called on the ministry to immediately form an authority to regulate streaming platforms, and in the meantime called for a ban on the series.

India late last year brought streaming platforms under the oversight of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and said it plans to regulate their content.


Additional input from Reuters