The controversial TV show, 'Pehredaar Piya Ki', which showed a nine-year old getting married to an 18-year old girl has been asked to go off air by the Information and Broadcasting ministry.
According to various news reports, the statement of the channel said:
" Effective 28th August 2017, we are pulling off our programme. Pehredaar Piya Ki,
from Television. While we understand that the decision to those whose creative energies are vested in it,
namely, its crew and cast, we (as a channel) are convinced that we will be better served by focusing instead on developing viewer interest in our upcoming, new shows. We are grateful to all the artists, producers and fans of our shows and request you to graciously support the viewership of our newer ventures.”
The serial, which began airing last month on Sony Entertainment Television, focuses on a nine-year-old boy, Ratan (Afaan Khan), and his marriage to 18-year-old Diya (Tejaswi Prakash).
The controversy started when an online petition was moved for a ban on the TV show, described as "obnoxious and perverted" content that can "severely impact impressionable minds of children".
More than one lakh people had signed a petition on change.org urging Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani to ban the show.
The team of the show including its lead actress Tejaswi Prakash defended the series and said there is nothing wrong with the storyline of "Pehredaar Piya Ki". She said it was "progressive" content.
Later, the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC) directed Sony channel to shift the daily soap "Pehredaar Piya Ki" to the 10 pm slot and run it with a scroll saying it does not promote child marriage, an official said today.