Sanskari Govt wants no condom ads in prime time

The ‘Sanskari’ BJP government has cracked down on airing of condom ads on television in prime time. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has passed an order that says condom ads can only be telecast between 10pm and 6am and not in prime time. The big idea seems to be that impressionable children get ‘spoilt’ when they see such ads; so, such “indecent and inappropriate” content should be restricted to the late hours when children are tucked away in the bed.

The decision to ban such advertisements that create "unhealthy practices" was taken after the Advertising Standards Council requested the ministry earlier this

month to take a call on such ads and their telecast timing. The council acted after receiving a number of complaints from viewers who were of the view that the content of condom ads was meant for adults and should not be aired during prime time.According to CNN IBN, at the heart of the problem was reportedly ‘Manforce’, a condom brand that has had a history of making suggestive commercials with Sunny Leone. In September, one such ad featuring Sunny drew protests from a Surat-based group. The ad, which was displayed on hoardings across the city and carried a message in Gujarati "play but with love," was shared on social media by people. City-based group Hindu Yuva Vahini had staged a protest at one of the locations where the hoarding was displayed. According to Vahini, it “insulted their religious sentiment”. However, the hoardings were not withdrawn.