Nora Fatehi controversial song 'Sarke Chunar' reaches Lok Sabha, Centre says 'freedom of speech is...'

UNion government minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on midweek said that the controversial Bollywood vocal Sarke Chunar has been prohibited, asserting that freedom of oral communication must operate within “reasonable restrictions” that respect society and culture.Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Vaishnaw said freedom of expression cannot be absolute. “A ban has been imposed on the song. We must operate according to the reasonable restrictions under the Freedom of Speech. Freedom of Speech cannot be absolute, it has to be in the context of the society and culture,” he said. The issue was raised in the Lower House by Samajwadi Party MP Anand Bhadouria, who sought clarification from the government regarding the controversial track.The song, featuring actors Nora Fatehi and Sanjay Dutt, is part of the upcoming Kannada film KD: The Devil. It sparked a major controversy soon after its release online, with many viewers objecting to what they described as sexually explicit lyrics and provocative visuals.The Hindi version of the track was uploaded on YouTube earlier this week but was later removed after the backlash intensified. However, versions in Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil remain available on the video-sharing platform. The film, which is set for release on April 30, will be dubbed in multiple languages.The song was originally written in Kannada by the film’s director Prem. Lyricist Raqeeb Alam, who is credited with the Hindi version, distanced himself from the controversy, saying he had merely translated the original lyrics.“I have not written these lyrics. They were written by the film’s director Prem in Kannada. When I was asked to write all this, I refused, saying such songs won’t work and will be censored too,” Alam said, adding that he was eventually asked to translate the original lines. The track has drawn criticism from several public figures and politicians. BJP MP Ravi Kishan said vulgar content that harms cultural values should not be promoted, while actor-politician Kangana Ranaut accused Bollywood of crossing “all limits with vulgarity” and called for stricter regulation of such content.Singer Armaan Malik also criticised the lyrics on social media, saying commercial songwriting had hit a “new low”.The controversy has also reached a legal forum. Advocate Vineet Jindal filed a complaint seeking urgent legal action against the song, alleging that it contains “highly vulgar, sexually suggestive and obscene expressions” and that its visuals promote vulgarity and disturb public decency.Meanwhile, Alam said the film’s team has asked him to write a fresh version with “clean lyrics”, which may be released along with an apology note following the backlash.