#BanNetflixIndia trends as social media users accuse streaming giant of defaming India

Indian Twitter users are calling for a Netflix ban after activists accused the streaming giant of “deep-rooted Hinduphobia” and defaming the country “on a global level.”

Ramesh N. Solanki, a Hindu activist and member of the Hindu nationalist Shiv Sena organization, lodged a complaint at a Mumbai police station alleging that Netflix has been “trying to paint an incorrect picture of Hindus and India globally” this week. He urged the police to take legal action against the streaming service. 

Solanki claimed almost every series on Netflix intends to “defame the country on a global level,” and accused it of “deep rooted Hinduphobia.” Among the examples cited in the complaint was the Sacred Games series for allegedly showing Hindus are “responsible for all crimes happening in the world."

People on social media did not pull punches on Netflix either, launching a hashtag #BanNetflixInindia and calling for people to unsubscribe from it. Some accused Netflix of a “deliberate attempt” to “brainwash Hindus.”

A poll by a Hindu group asked whether “a company which does not even respect Hindus and Bharatiyas, have any business being in our country?” and 74 percent of over 600 respondents said “no.” 

Not everyone gave their backing to the ban however, using the hashtag to criticize the initiative. 

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