Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu said the BJP and the Centre had no role in ZEE5 withdrawing Satluj. He said the row was being politicised and Punjab’s history must be viewed in full context.
Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu has rejected allegations by leaders of opposition parties that the BJP or the Centre had a role in the removal of the film Satluj from OTT platform ZEE5, calling the claims baseless. He said the issue should be seen in its proper context and argued that blaming the BJP for developments linked to the film was politically motivated and had no factual basis.
Bittu said the events shown in the film relate to a period when both Punjab and the central government were led by the Congress. He also said OTT platforms are not subject to prior government censorship in the same way as films released in theatres, and that decisions on hosting or withdrawing content are taken by the platforms themselves under their editorial, legal and commercial policies.
Speaking on the sidelines of a visit to the redeveloped Jalandhar Cantt railway station with senior officials of the Ferozepur Division, the minister of state for railways said Punjab’s history should be presented in full and not through a “one-sided narrative”.
He added that government certification and regulatory rules for films mainly apply to theatrical releases, while satellite television and cable broadcasts are governed under separate statutory and regulatory frameworks. “Consequently, attributing the removal of ‘Satluj’ from ZEE5 to the BJP or the central government has no factual or legal basis,” he said.
The film, earlier titled Punjab ’95, is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra and is set in Punjab during the turbulent 1990s, when the state was reeling under terrorism. It was released uncut on ZEE5 on July 3 under the new title Satluj, after being held up with the censors for more than three years. It was removed from the platform two days later, on July 5.
Bittu, who is the grandson of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, said he has consistently maintained that any discussion on the years of militancy must recognise not only allegations against the state but also the suffering caused by terrorism to thousands of innocent civilians, police personnel, public servants, elected representatives and ordinary families.
The minister said militancy has no religion and that violence must never be glorified or linked to any community or faith. Punjab’s history, he said, should be examined through facts, verified records and historical context rather than selective narratives or political propaganda.
He also said the government led by Beant Singh had inherited a Punjab devastated by years of terrorism, and that its foremost task was to restore peace, law and order, and democratic governance. The return of normalcy, revival of democratic institutions and restoration of public confidence, he said, were also an integral part of that period and deserved equal recognition.
Bittu added that the BJP believes history can and should be debated in a democratic society, but such discussions must be based on facts, evidence and a balanced historical perspective rather than misinformation or efforts to create political controversy.
Several political parties and Sikh bodies in Punjab had on Monday criticised the removal of Satluj from the OTT platform, saying the film compels India to confront one of the state’s “darkest chapters” and that history must be faced with honesty, not buried through censorship.
