The broadcast of a BBC documentary that criticises Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been cancelled, according to the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and its students’ union.
Following the distribution of a poster by the university’s students’ union promoting the polarising documentary screening at its office on Tuesday, the administration made its choice.
On the other hand, a student organisation from Hyderabad Central University planned the BBC documentary’s January 21 screening inside the campus.
In addition, the JNU administration threatened “severe disciplinary punishment” if the event was not postponed.
However, sources within the Jawaharlal Nehru Students Union (JNUSU) stated that because the documentary has not been legally outlawed, the showing will still take place.
The contentious BBC documentary “India: The Modi Question” will be screened in Kerala, according to a Tuesday announcement by the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the party’s youth arm. The news was published by DYFI on its Facebook page.
The connections to the documentary “India: The Modi Question” had been ordered by the government to be blocked on Twitter and YouTube on Friday.
The documentary has been derided by the Ministry of External Affairs as a “propaganda effort” that lacks objectivity and exhibits a colonial mentality.
The government’s decision to restrict access to the documentary has been criticised by opposition parties.
The union has not requested permission from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration for the event, which the JNU administration advised should be cancelled since it could “disturb peace and harmony.”
In a statement, the university stated: “It has come to the administration’s attention that a number of students have, in the name of the JNUSU, produced a booklet for the showing of a documentary or movie (named) “India: The Modi Question,” set for January 24, 2023, at 9:00 p.m. in Teflas. It stated that the JNU administration had not given any prior approval for this event.
The purpose of this is to emphasise how such an unauthorised activity could impede on the tranquilly and harmony of the university campus.
The affected students or individuals are strongly encouraged to cancel the proposed programme right away; else, strict disciplinary action may be taken in accordance with university policies.
To the BBC Documentary, the Center Reacts Strongly
The national administration, meanwhile, has responded angrily to the BBC documentary that questioned PM Modi’s direction during the violence in Gujarat in 2002.
The central government has cracked down on YouTube videos and Twitter messages that contain links to the programme after criticising the UK broadcaster for presenting “falsehoods” in a “propaganda piece.”
On Tuesday, Kiren Rijiju, the union law minister, criticised individuals who were in favour of the film, claiming that for some, “the white rulers are still the masters whose decision on India is final and not the decision of the Supreme Court of India or the will of the people” of the nation.
“They place the BBC above the Supreme Court of India, lowering the nation’s honour and reputation to any lengths to appease their moral overlords, “In a tweet, Rijiju stated.
India: The Modi Question, a two-part BBC documentary “says that while Modi was the state’s chief minister, it looked into some aspects of the riots in Gujarat in 2002. In India, the documentary has not been screened.
