Several opposition members of parliament have written to Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Ashwini Vaishnaw, seeking his intervention after the Central Board of Film Certification reportedly declined certification to the Oscar-nominated film The Voice of Hind Rajab in an oral communication.

Opposition members urge Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to intervene

In a letter, the ministers said, "We, the undersigned Members of Parliament, write to express our deep concern regarding reports that the Central Board of Film Certification has orally declined certification to the internationally acclaimed film The Voice of Hind Rajab, thereby effectively preventing its public exhibition in India. We earnestly seek your good self's urgent personal intervention in this matter that bears significant implications for artistic freedom, institutional credibility and India's standing as a society committed to democratic values and cultural openness."

"The film is an internationally recognized and Oscar-nominated work based on the real-life killing of a young Palestinian child during the 2024 Gaza conflict. The film has received wide critical attention globally, reflecting its engagement with a subject of contemporary humanitarian concern. However, reports indicate that the distributor in India has been orally informed that certification may not be granted. Such an approach raises serious concerns as to whether considerations extraneous to the statutory framework governing film certification have influenced the decision-making process. The screening of a film is an exercise of artistic expression protected within the constitutional framework and cannot be made contingent upon perceived diplomatic relationships," they added.