Ban TV soaps, says BSP lawmaker

BSP parliamentarian Satish Chandra Mishra Tuesday urged the government to take steps to ban daily TV soaps, saying they depict women in poor light.

He also objected to the poster of Aamir Khan's new film "PK", saying it was "obscene".

"TV serials show women to be scheming all the time. It is causing social damage," the Bahujan Samaj Party member said while participating in a debate on the working of women and child development ministry in the Rajya Sabha.

"There was a serial 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi'. It showed women in poor light... Interestingly, the woman in the serial who fought against all the exploitation is a minister now," he said, referring to Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani.

"Something should be done to ban these serials," he said.

Raising an objection, veteran actor and Rajya Sabha member Jaya Bachchan said the TV soaps were a mirror to the society.

"I object to this. What you are saying is not true. These stories are written based on real life experiences. It is a mirror to the society," Jaya Bachchan said.

Mishra responded by saying that he respected Jaya Bachchan, and that she has been dignified in all her films and set an example.

"I respect Jaya-ji. She is a role model. She has done so many movies, but no one can raise a finger on her dressing or conduct in any movie," Mishra said.

He then went on to attack actor-producer Aamir Khan, without naming him.

"An actor who claims to do a lot of social work met the prime minister recently. But today, his posters are everywhere without clothes. It is an offence, it is wrong. Obscene posters with nudity should not be allowed," he said.

Aamir Khan in the poster of his upcoming movie "PK" is shown without clothes, with a strategically placed music player.