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JNU authorities cut the electricity to stop the demonstration; Those who watched the documentary on their mobile phones were pelted with stones
New Delhi: To prevent the screening of the BBC documentary ‘India: The Modi Question’ about the Gujarat riots and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role in it, the JNU authorities cut off the electricity in the campus. Following this, students continued to watch the documentary on mobile phones and laptops.
But the ABVP activists who were enraged by this pelted stones at the students. Many people were injured in the stone pelting. The students could not complete the exhibition.
Then the students of various organizations like SFI, ASFI and ISA came out in protest. Security personnel closed the gate. Various news channels are reporting that a tense situation is forming inside the campus and that the police have reached the spot.
JNSU president @aishe_ghosh circulated QR code after the power supply cut down at JNU. #BBCDocumentary pic.twitter.com/z53rZikKcP
— Sunny Pratap (@sunnypratap02) January 24, 2023
The student union was planning to screen the documentary. The university authorities came with the ban after posters about the same were circulated in the campus on Monday. The statement of the authorities was that ‘no prior permission has been taken from the JNU authorities for this programme’.
“This statement is to make it clear that such illegal activity will disturb the peace and harmony of the university campus. The concerned students and persons are strictly advised to cancel the proposed programme,” said a statement by the university authorities. But the students went ahead with the demonstration despite this ban.
Join us for the Documentary Screening which has been “banned” by a “elected Government” of the largest “democracy”.#BBCDocumentary pic.twitter.com/JsJan3QRid
— Aishe (@aishe_ghosh) January 23, 2023
The central government has also blocked access to the BBC documentary. The government had on Friday directed social media platforms like Twitter and YouTube to block its links.
Meanwhile, students screened the documentary at the University of Hyderabad, defying the authorities’ ban. Documentaries are being screened in various parts under the leadership of opposition youth organizations in Kerala. BJP came forward against this.
The BBC is set to release the second part of the series on January 24, even as protests from the BJP government in India continue.
BBC broadcasted the first part of the documentary on the 17th. In addition to the Gujarat riots, the second part of the BBC also indicates that there will be evaluations regarding the policies and positions taken by Modi during the 2019 elections.
Content Highlight: Electricity shut down and stone pelting to stop the screening of BBC documentary sat JNU campus