At least 67 songs of various Haryanvi pop singers or rappers were either taken down, removed or blocked in the last 11 months from YouTube, Spotify and other streaming platforms over glorification of gun culture, glamorising gangs and violence, said Haryana police special task force (STF) officials on Friday.
STF officials said that during investigation, it was revealed that majority of the songs were produced after the singers were pressurised or threatened to do so by gangsters from abroad.
B Satheesh Balan, inspector general (STF), said that they have met with at least 27 singers thrice in the last 11 months to discuss the issue.
“Several singers disclosed that they were composing or producing such songs after repeated threats from gangsters hiding abroad,” said Balan, adding that a drive against such songs was launched in February last year and will continue in the future.
Balan said that these singers were being coerced to mentioned names of certain gangsters to glorify them along with gun culture and violence.
“After deportations of at least five gangsters from various countries in the last 12 months, threat calls and pressure which was being put by the gangsters on these singers have declined,” said Balan, adding that they have also arrested several suspects in Haryana, associated with various gangsters who had tried to threaten such singers.
STF officials said that besides removing the entire songs from online streaming platforms, they have even got some specific parts of several songs removed in which names of either certain criminals and gangsters were highlighted, or gun culture was glorified.
“We have urged the singers to avoid using prohibited songs or part of them in concerts and events. Besides, we have also been keeping an eye on live shows or events of such singers to stop them from singing such songs in front of the audience,” said Balan.