Airing of BBC series on Modi at Hyderabad varsity sparks row; JNUSU, DYFI to screen Part 2 today  

Students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and those affiliated with Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), CPI(M)’s youth wing in Kerala, have decided to hold special screening of the second episode of the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the first part of which has been blocked by the Centre on YouTube and Twitter.

Reports said the Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union (JNUSU) has decided to go ahead with the screening of the second part of the documentary at 9 pm on Tuesday (January 24) despite being issued an advisory by the university to cancel it. The screening will be followed by a discussion.

Also read: Not familiar with BBC documentary: US State Department on Modi’s role in Gujarat riots

On Monday (January 23), the registrar of the university in an advisory said that the students had not sought permission for the screening while asking them to cancel the programme as it “may disturb the peace and harmony of the University campus.”

“The students concerned or individuals are firmly advised to cancel the proposed programme immediately, failing which strict disciplinary action may be initiate as per University rules,” the advisory said.

JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh, however, told the media that that the students’ union will go ahead with the screening and that JNUSU was not required to take permission from the JNU administration to screen any programme at its office.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) on January 21 blocked several YouTube videos that shared the first part of the BBC documentary titled ‘India: The Modi Question’ while also removing the same from Twitter handles that shared it.

Also read: Modi documentary: Online petition seeks probe into ‘serious breach’ by BBC

The government called the documentary, which explored Modi’s role in the 2002 Gujarat riots, a “propaganda piece” against the then Gujarat chief minister and one that lacked objectivity and reflected a “colonial mindset”.

The DYFI on Tuesday announced that the second part of the documentary will be screened across the state.

Docu screened at Hyderabad university; ABVP protests

On Monday, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) filed a complaint with the management of the University of Hyderabad after a section of the students screened the first part of the documentary on the varsity campus.

The university’s management has sought a report on the matter.

According to PTI, the documentary, was screened on Sunday by a group of students under the banner “Fraternity Movement- HCU unit”, on the campus of the UoH, also known as Hyderabad Central University (HCU).

Also read: Govt ‘blocks’ access to BBC series on Modi; TMC MP O’Brien says Twitter post deleted

However, no permission was sought by the students group from the authorities before screening the documentary and they got know about it only after the members of ABVP complained to the varsity’s Registrar in this regard, official sources at UoH said on Tuesday.

The University has asked for a report from its security wing over the matter, they said.

A police official told PTI they have so far not received any complaint over the matter.

Meanwhile, Fraternity Movement in a twitter post on January 21 claimed that the BBC Documentary was screened on by Fraternity Movement- HCU unit. “BBC documentary ‘India: The Modi Question’ which was removed from YouTube screened in HCU by Fraternity Movement- HCU unit,” the tweet said.

The Centre’s directions on blocking access were understood to have been issued by Apurva Chandra, Secretary, I&B Ministry, using the emergency powers under the IT Rules, 2021. The Centre’s move has received sharp criticism from opposition parties like the Congress and the TMC for imposing “censorship”. At the same time a group of 302 former judges, ex-bureaucrats and veterans slammed the BBC documentary as a “motivated charge sheet against our leader, a fellow Indian and a patriot” and a reflection of “dyed-in-the-wool negativity and unrelenting prejudice”.

(With inputs from agencies)

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