Five most controversial bans imposed by Government in 2015

By Harshmeet Singh

The year 2015 will be remembered for many things. From PM Modi's frequent foreign visits and the Dadri lynching incident to the astounding victory of Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi and quashing of the NJAC by the SC, 2015 saw a number of controversial stories.

But few things turned out to be more controversial than the series of bans imposed by the Government on various things, each of which drew contrasting reactions from the society. To refresh your memory, NewsGram brings to you the five most controversial bans imposed by the Government in 2015.

1. No more Maggi Maggi Maagi! (at least for a while!)

No ban turned out to be as controversial as the ban on the country's favorite instant noodles, Maggi. It all began when the FSDA (Food Safety and Drug Administration) Lucknow reported that some packets of the Maggi noodles have been found to contain Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) and lead beyond the permissible limits.

Nestle denied all these allegations while the states across the country started to ban the product one by one, beginning with Delhi on 3 June.

To the relief of Maggi lovers, the countrywide ban was lifted by the Bombay High Court in August.

2. Maharashtra Government bans beef

'Beef' has probably been one of the most controversial words in the country in 2015. It all started with Maharashtra government's decision to ban eating, selling or processing of red meat. Though the bill was passed by the state government in 1995 itself, it was given the green signal by the central government and president's assent only this year.

3. Porn ban

The Internet users in the country were in for a shock in August when they came to know about the government's decision to ban porn websites across the country. This decision by the government came after the SC criticized the government for not doing enough to keep a check on child pornography, which is illegal. But after a massive outcry, the government was forced to retract its decision within a few days.

4. Ban on 'India's daughter'

'India's daughter', a BBC documentary based on the Nirbhaya gang rape case, was banned by the government. The documentary contained an interview of one of the accused, Mukesh Singh, who showed no remorse and instead blamed the girl, forcing the government to take this step. Though BBC didn't air the documentary in India, it was released internationally.

5. Ban on NGOs for alleged illegal foreign funding

The central government suspended 4,470 NGOs in the country on allegations of receiving foreign funds in an illegal manner. It started with the Government freezing the accounts of Greenpeace International and trying to stop Priya Pillai, an activist associated with the NGO, from travelling abroad.

According to the government, the licenses were cancelled for a variety of reasons, including failure to file returns and violation of the FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act).