MSG row getting murkier: Mass resignations follow after miffed Board chief Leela Samson quits

New Delhi, June 17: Looks like row over controversial movie Messenger of God is getting murkier with every passing days. A day after Censor Board chief Leela Samson resigned over the film, nine other members have also quit.

The name includes Ira Bhaskar, Lora Prabhu, Pankaj Sharma, Rajeev Masand, TG Thyagarajan, Mamang Dai and Shubhra Gupta.

Reportedly all these members have justified the decision of Leela Samson who resigned on Friday citing reason of ‘interference and corruption' in giving clearance to movie MSG, staring Dera Saccha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

"Recent cases of interference in the working of the (board) by the ministry, through an 'additional charge' CEO, and corrupt panel members has caused a degradation of values that the members of (the Censor Board) and Chairperson stood for," Samson alleged.

She also said, "the term of all the members and the chairperson of the Censor Board are over. But since the new government failed to appoint a new Board and Chairperson, a few were given extension and asked to carry on till the procedure was completed."

However, Minister of State in the Information and Broadcasting ministry Rajyavardhan Rathore refutted all allegations. He said, the ministry has always "kept a hands away distance" from the Censor Board decisions. "There was no government interference in clearing the film Messenger of God", Rathore said. Hitting out at Samson, Rathore said, "The Censor Board is an independent body, it needs to behave like one."

OneIndia News