MTV India MD Alex Kuruvilla has issued the following statement:

"MTV India is a completely locally programmed channel created by a team of Indians reflecting the tastes of young Indians. Each MTV channel around the world creates content specifically for local audiences, and therefore MTV India had no involvement in the creation or production of Clone High USA. Upon hearing reports about the series, we immediately notified MTV US to discuss the show's content. In response, MTV US has taken this matter very seriously, and feedback from them is forthcoming.

"MTV India, which reflects the tastes and sensibilities of our local audiences, has no intentions of airing the show in India. We at MTV India greatly respect and revere the father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi. We respect and cherish all the values that he stood for all of his life ... peace, non-violence, and the greater goodness of humanity."

Indians have been outraged by the depiction of the Mahatma in Clone High USA. What has led to further protests is that almost in tandem, a California-based magazine Maxim ran an article in its latest issue depicting a muscleman beating up an image of Gandhi.

Clone High, USA introduces a character called G-Man - a fictitious Gandhi clone - who wears dangly earrings, eats junk food and is the ultimate party animal.

Maxim, in an alleged humor (sic) article, depicts a man in a "Muscle" T-shirt beating up an image of Gandhi. The article, which calls for a healthy regimen of violent assaults, asks readers to "teach those pacifists a lesson about aggression".