Popular MTV VJ Raghu Ram was in for a rude shock on his visit to the city on Friday, as Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad activists blackened his face with ink, protesting his “obscene onscreen behaviour.”
Raghu Ram, also a producer at MTV India, along with Roadies co-anchor Ranvijay Singh, was here for a promotional event. Fifteen ABVP activists stopped a promotional rally midway and blackened Raghu Ram's face with ink, ABVP spokesperson Shailendra Dalvi told The Hindu . After the ABVP demanded that the anchors not be allowed to enter the “cultural city of Pune,” they were sent back to Mumbai by the police, Mr. Dalvi said.
“We sharply protest the foul language used by Raghu on his show MTV Roadies. He is a bad influence on the youth. He is trying to attract the young people, but the youth of this country will only face degradation if they follow people like him. Small children too cannot be stopped from watching objectionable shows,” Mr Dalvi said. “Cuss words interject his every sentence. He makes the youth do senseless ‘stunts' like kissing strangers. What will happen to the culture of India if this continues?” he said.
Asked whether the ABVP had brought up the issue with the MTV management or the Censor Board before attacking the anchors in public, Mr. Dalvi said: “This was a warning. We will send a letter to MTV and the Censor Board asking them to stop derogatory language and stunts.”
MTV has not commented on this issue. Raghu Ram's identical twin brother Rajiv Lakshman chose to downplay the incident. “We have seen worse things. This was a bunch of small fry doing small things,” Rajiv, who is also an anchor and producer at MTV, tweeted. “We'd be serving their [the ABVP's] purpose if we talk about it. So lets not.”
Mr. Dalvi said the anchors were saying in public that it was a political stunt by the ABVP. “It is not a stunt. It is for society. Our act has been appreciated by many people. Someone had to take the initiative to put an end to this obscenity.”
The police refused to comment. “Nobody has registered a complaint,” they said.
