Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has requested the centre on Friday to issue a ban on US-based social networking sites, broadcasting "controversial" and "objectionable" films.

"The chief minister spoke to the union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde and sought a ban on such sites which lead to disruption of social harmony," an official release said.
Chavan told the centre that the ban should come into effect immediately, in view of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival that starts next week.

A film broadcast on the internet, deemed to be denigrating Islam, has sparked off violent protest in the middle-east. Protesters in Libya attacked the US consulate in Benghazi on Tuesday and killed the American ambassador and three other consulate staff in the wake of the protests.