The Times of India, a few days back, carried a brifer on the who's who of the moral police in India (Serial Offenders On Morality Frontline; April 19, 2007). It is worth carrying it here:
Shiv Sena: The biggest moral police. It’s most famous cop Pramod Navalkar has run campaigns against prostitution, 'vulgar' hoardings, pictures in compromising positions. Sena has been at the forefront of 'anti-Indian culture' Valentine's Day. But had organised the Michael Jackson show.
Sambhaji Bridage: Founded by Maharashtra PWD engineer Purshottam Khedekar, this little-known brigade's volunteers ransacked Bhadarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune, for aiding US researcher James Lain, who allegedly made derogatory references to Chhatrapati Shivaji.
Hindu Rashtriya Sena: It had recently vandalised a TV channel office (that was Start TV) in Mumbai for repeatedly supporting the elopment and marriage of a minor Hindu girl and her Muslim boyfriend. Its leader Dhananjay Desai was even seen giving interviews about his achievement
Rajasthan's offenders: Jaipur-based advocate Poonam Chand Bhandari moved court, leading to orders that the channel that showed the Richard Gere-Shilpa Shetty kissing sequence submit the CD in court. In Banswara, Vagar Vikas Parishad's chief Naresh Taldar has obtained the court's order to book channels which showed the sequence on TV
Shailendra Dwivedi: He has dragged Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan to an Indore court over their kissing scene in Dhoom-2. He had earlier filed petitions against director JP Dutta for allegedly showing the Tricolour incorrectly draped on coffins of soldiers; MF Husain for painting Mother India and Hindu goddesses nude; LK Advani for his Jinnah comments; Mamta Kulkarni for an alleged indecent picture in a film magazine.
BJP & its youth wing in MP: The party and its youth have staged protests in Indore and Bhopal, burning effigies of Richard Gere and Shilpa Shetty over the former's peck on the latter's cheek. The reason: "The white man kissed Shilpa displaying vulgarity of Western culture while the Bollywood star didn't protest"
