Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi (SHP)

New Delhi, Feb 26: The Emmy winning writer Jon Oliver is well-known for his show 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver' where a satirical look at the week in news, politics and current events is carried out. Now, one of the episodes criticising of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been blocked in India by Hotstar, the local platform run by Walt Disney Co.

In the episode, Oliver was previewing President Donald Trump’s visit to India. The show typically airs at 6 am on every Tuesday in India. However, when subscribers logged on February 25, they noticed that Hotstar has not aired the recent episode.

There has been no comment on the matter has been provided by the Hotstar representative. Meanwhile, a representative for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Ministry said the government was not involved in the matter.

In the controversial episode, Oliver can be heard saying, “While Modi may have charmed Bear Grylls, the world, and our current president, in India he is an increasingly controversial figure because his government has pursued a steadily escalating persecution of religious minorities. The only glimmer of hope here is that for perhaps the first time in Modi’s whole career, his actions are creating a massive and sustained backlash.” Even though the episode has been banned on Hotstar, the video is likely available on YouTube.

Earlier, Netflix Inc pulled an episode in Saudi Arabia of comedian Hasan Minhaj’s 'Patriot Act' series where he criticized the kingdom’s powerful crown prince.