Wednesday, December 22 2004 16:42 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Members cutting across party lines, today (Dec 22, 2004) raised eyebrows over growing cyber crimes and obscenity in Indian films and demanded a ban on such activities and strengthening of laws to check the menace.

The issue came up through two separate special mentions in the Rajya Sabha and several members joined them in demanding immediate changes in the IT laws to prevent misuse of technology through which young minds were being corrupted.

While M M Agarwal (Ind) raised the issue of need to control obscenity in Hindi movies and increasing cyber crimes, Abu Asim Azmi (SP) demanded amendment in the IT Act.

Agarwal said that the laws were not sufficient enough to tackle such crimes particularly in Hindi films, which were degenerating young minds.

He regretted indecent Hindi films were being shown on TV channels. This was strongly protested by Jaya Bachchan who said that it was not right to target only Hindi films as obscenity was found in all Indian films.

Agarwal and other members agreed with her viewpoint and said that there was need to check such films in various languages.

Azmi voiced concern over modern techniques being used to blackmail people particularly in the context of two recent incidents involving film stars and a student of Delhi school.

He said that there was need to amend IT laws suitably to prevent obscene photography.