PUBG Mobile and BGMI games are different, IT Ministry tells HC responding to PIL: Report

Anil Stevenson Jangam, a Hyderabad-based advocate, had filed a PIL in the Telangana High Court a few days back, seeking a permanent ban on the popular mobile battle royale title - BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India). The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has now responded to this petition.

PIL claimed the version was only a new avatar of the previously banned PUBG Mobile and had a detrimental impact on youngsters' mental well-being and lives. Additionally, it claimed that it constituted a threat to citizen privacy and posed a national security issue.

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IT Ministry tells HC that PUBG Mobile and BGMI games are different

The two games are different, says MEITY (Image via Sportskeeda)

According to New Indian Express, N. Samaya Balan, representing the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY), in a detailed affidavit, said that the 'PUBG Mobile app' and the 'BGMI app' were not the same and that only the government can restrict computer resources.

Additionally, the Center informed the Telangana High Court that it had not received any request to prohibit Battlegrounds Mobile India.

According to IANS, the PIL read:

"BGMI and the banned application PUBG Mobile are the same game with only cosmetic changes. The new application Battlegrounds Mobile India is fraught with all the dangers its banned earlier version posed to our children and adolescents. Therefore, the new version also deserves to be banned.

It added the following:

"Chinese Company Tencent Holdings and the Respondent No.3 (Krafton) have employed a circuitous means of re-entering India, by an elaborate process of Front companies, and have sought to hoodwink the Indian Authorities, which is detrimental to the interests of India and its citizens," says the PIL.

The lawyer urged the court to issue directions to the union and state governments to establish a safety rating agency to develop guidelines and regulate online gaming.

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PRAHAR, writers a letter to the government seeking a ban on the game

A few days ago, PRAHAR, an NGO, wrote letters to MHA and MEITY requesting a ban imposed on the game. The national convenor and president of NGO, Abhay Mishra said that:

"In the 'so-called new avatar,' BGMI-PUBG is no different from the erstwhile PUBG, with Tencent still controlling it in the background. Such camouflage activities are nothing but Ravana disguised as a Sadhu."

They requested that the ministries place BGMI-PUBG on the list of banned applications, claiming security concerns, to protect gamers from falling for this Chinese trap.