BBC Documentary Updates: Amid the ongoing row over British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)’s controversial documentary ‘India: The Modi Question’, several universities have initiated probe and disciplinary proceedings against students who screened it. Delhi University had formed a 7-member panel to probe the screening, which will submit its report to the Vice Chancellor by Monday evening at 5 pm.
In the backdrop of the ongoing controversy, PM Modi on Saturday warned against “attempts to divide” the country. Addressing a rally of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) at the Cariappa Ground in Delhi Cantonment, Modi said the mantra of unity was the only way for India to achieve grandeur.
Despite a warning against public screening of a controversial BBC documentary, a group of students at Mumbai’s Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) gathered and watched it on laptops and phones.
In Himachal Pradesh, the Students Federation of India (SFI) activists raised slogans and tried to stop the police from removing the screen installed on the University campus, resulting in a minor scuffle. The screening was stopped after 15-20 minutes, eyewitnesses said.
Here are key updates on BBC Documentary Row:
- The Registrar of the Himachal Pradesh University said they had issued a notice to SFI to stop screening of the documentary “India, the Modi Question” immediately as it could create a law and order situation on the campus.
- Police stopped SFI from screening the documentary in the Himachal Pradesh University campus. According to eyewitnesses, SFI activists raised slogans, tried to stop police from removing screen, causing minor scuffle. Screening stopped after 15-20 minutes.
- PM Modi on Saturday said, “Desh ko todne ke kai bahane dhoonde jaate hein. Bhaanti, bhaanti ki baatein nikaal kar, Maa Bharti ki santaano ke beech main doodh mein daraar karne ki koshishe ho rahi hein (Several pretexts are being raised to break the country. Several issues are raked up to create divisions among the children of Mother India).”
- Apart from protests outside the London BBC office, simultaneous protests will also take place in Birmingham, Glasgow and other cities in the UK.
- The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai on Saturday issued a second advisory for the Students’ Union after reports surfaced that a group of students were again planning to screen the controversial documentary. In the earlier notice issued, the institute said that they had not permitted any such screening.
- The students’ association of the Film and Television Institute of India screened the controversial BBC documentary on the 2002 Godhra riots on the campus of the premier acting school on Saturday.
- Earlier, former Lok Janshakti Party president Chirag Paswan on Saturday voiced disapproval of police action against students in Delhi over attempted screening of the BBC documentary on the communal riots that took place in Gujarat two decades ago.
- A commotion erupted at the Delhi University on Friday as students attempted to screen the controversial BBC documentary, even as police and the university administration intervened to scuttle the move.
- Twenty-four students affiliated with the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) were detained from the Delhi University’s Arts Faculty and a heavy police deployment was maintained in the North Campus.
- High drama marked the screening of the BBC documentary on 2002 Gujarat riots at the College Street campus of Presidency University in Kolkata on Friday as there was a power outage for some time. More than 50 of the university’s students watched the controversial film at the time.
(With PTI Inputs)
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