Censor Board not a mouthpiece of government: Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore

PANAJI: The Centre today said sought to distance itself from the raging debate over Censor Board's moves, saying the Board is an autonomous body and its decisions do not reflect the government's viewpoint.

Union Minister of State for Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said the Censor Board is "not a government mouthpiece".

His comments assume significance after the Board's chief Pahalaj Nihalani shortened the length of kissing scenes and cut some words in James Bond movie "Spectre", drawing ire on social media and from his colleagues.

Rathore, who inaugrated the Indian Panorama section at the ongoing International Film Festival of India (IFFI) here, said, "I spoke to the industry. Censor Board is not a government mouthpiece. It needs to provide certification and not censor stuff. We are very firm.

"It's an autonomous body and I want to advise them to work as a board. An individual's views need not be propagated and censorship should be in tandem with the Constitution," he said.