Hyderabad University: Authorities Launch Probe As Students Screen BBC Documentary On PM Modi

The Hyderabad University authority claimed that the students screened the BBC documentary on Sunday, a day after the Centre's orders while the students said they organised a screening two days ago, which was before the ban on the series.

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on: 24 January 2023 2:29 am

BBC 's documentary 'India: The Modi Question' being screened at Hyderabad University

Days after the Centre banned the screening of the controversial BBC documentary 'India: The Modi Question',? Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the RSS, on Monday filed a complaint with the Hyderabad University authorities, alleging that students screened the BBC documentary at the campus.?

The two-part BBC documentary "India: The Modi Question" claims it investigated certain aspects relating to the 2002 Gujarat riots when Modi was the chief minister of the state. On Saturday, the I&B Ministry blocked the series on YouTube and YouTube links to the BBC documentary.A report from the security department was awaited and further action would be taken accordingly, they said.

Also, the university said that the students screened the BBC documentary on Sunday, a day after the Centre's orders. On the other hand, the students said they organised a screening two days ago, which was before the ban on the series.

According to Gachibowli Police, no complaint regarding the screening has been received yet.

?JNUSU:?poster announces screening;?Varsity admin directs to?cancel event

A fresh row erupted in JNU as a poster was purportedly released by its students' union announcing the screening of a controversial BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at its office on Tuesday, prompting university authorities to issue a warning to cancel the event or face "strict disciplinary action".

The government had on Friday directed social media platforms Twitter and YouTube to block links to the documentary titled "India: The Modi Question". The Ministry of External Affairs has trashed the documentary as a "propaganda piece" that lacks objectivity and reflects a colonial mindset.

However, opposition parties have slammed the government's move to block access to the documentary.

The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration, in an advisory on Monday, said the union has not taken its permission for the event and it should be cancelled as it could "disturb peace and harmony".

Calls and messages to JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) president Aishe Ghosh did not elicit a response.

The poster, purportedly released by the union, said the documentary 'India: The Modi Question' will be screened at 9 pm in the student body's office.

The university in its advisory said, "It has come to the notice of the administration that a group of students have in the name of the JNUSU released a pamphlet for screening a documentary or movie (titled) "India: The Modi Question" scheduled for 24 January, 2023, at 9:00 pm in Teflas."

No prior permission for this event has been taken from the JNU administration, it said.

"This is to emphasise that such an unauthorised activity may disturb the peace and harmony of the university campus. The concerned students or individuals are firmly advised to cancel the proposed programme immediately, failing which a strict disciplinary action may be initiated as per university rules," the advisory read.

Meanwhile, a US State Department spokesperson has said that the US is not familiar with the BBC documentary, but it is familiar with the shared “democratic values” that connects Washington and New Delhi. ?

Addressing a press briefing in Washington on Monday, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters that Washington shares an “exceptionally deep partnership” with New Delhi based on values that are common to both the US and Indian democracies.

(With PTI Inputs)