A public interest litigation has been filed in a Delhi court on Wednesday contending there was need for a regulatory body to review non-film songs and music videos as many of them contain obscene or vulgar content available for viewing without any restrictions.

A bench of Dehi High Court Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh issued notices to the ministries of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) and Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) seeking their stand on the plea by two lawyers who are also seeking an immediate ban of such content, PTI reported.

The petitioners — Neha Kapoor and Mohit Bhadu — who are both practicing advocates have sought a direction to India’s federal government to set up a body “for regulating/reviewing the contents/lyrics of non-film songs and their music videos, which are released and streamed and made available on various platforms/ applications”.

In their plea, filed through advocate Rishu Singh, the petitioners have claimed that such songs and videos were not only available on TV and radio, but were being circulated on applications like YouTube, Gaana.com and Instagram.

The petitioners have contended that non-regulated content has a negative impact on the minds of the general public, teenagers and kids, and that some of these songs and music videos promoted use of drugs, alcohol besides objectifying women, which were not acceptable.

“Such non-film songs have the effect of eroding the Indian value system and instigating the listeners, especially the youth, in believing that drugs, alcohol and, most importantly, objectifying women is acceptable and these things are necessary to survive at par with your peers in the society,” the petition has alleged.

Besides seeking creation of a regulatory body, the plea also seeks a “ban of all such non-film songs available on the internet having obscene/vulgar content with immediate effect”.