Blackout and stones are thrown as JNU students watch a BBC documentary on PM Modi: 10 Facts
Left-wing supporters: Two students were allegedly caught by left-wing supporters throwing stones, according to them. They said that the two are members of the ABVP, the student arm of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the BJP’s main ideological inspiration.
Tuesday’s plans by some students to film the contentious BBC documentary about Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University failed when the university’s electricity and internet were shut off. Allegedly by the ABVP, stones were hurled at people who were watching it on their phones.
The following is a 10-Point summary of this significant event:
- Two students were apprehended by left-wing supporters for allegedly throwing stones, according to them. The two, according to them, are members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s student branch, the ABVP, which serves as the BJP’s ideological parent. N Sai Balaji, the previous president of the Students Union, reported that “ABVP students threw stones at us.”
- “We have walked towards the main gate in order to guarantee the protection of the pupils. We need the electricity restored right away. Before the electricity is restored, we won’t leave the gate. When we phone the police, they don’t answer “He continued.
- The president of the Students’ Federation of India, which is supported by the Left, Aishe Ghosh, said that the government was to blame for the blackout. She informed the journalists, “We will use our mobile devices to view the documentary using QR codes.” The JNU administration did not respond to requests for comment.
- India has prohibited internet sharing of films, and the JNU administration had declined to grant permission for the screening. The administration threatened to impose disciplinary punishment if the documentary was shown.
- Following the blackout, the students made their way to a cafeteria on campus, where they watched the documentary on their laptops and smartphones. Sources claim that while they were watching the programme, some stones were hurled at them from behind bushes.
- The students protested at the police station late at night. After the police promised to check into the situation, the protest was subsequently called off. “We reported the event, and the police assured us they would check into it right away. We disclosed the names and contact information for all parties concerned, “According to sources, Ms. Ghosh stated.
- A student organisation at Hyderabad University presented the documentary earlier in the day. The administration of the university has requested a report on the situation from its representatives.
- The controversial BBC documentary on PM Modi, which purports to have looked at some aspects of the 2002 Gujarat riots when he was the state’s chief minister, was reportedly removed from Twitter and YouTube last week, according to sources.
- The Centre attacked the BBC in a stinging statement, calling it “a propaganda piece aimed to advance a certain discredited narrative.” According to the foreign ministry, “the bias, lack of objectivity, and plainly continued colonial mindset are blatantly visible.”
- Several opposition leaders tweeted alternative URLs where viewers could see the first episode of the two-part series in response to criticism the administration received for the “restriction.” Mohua Moitra of the Trinamool Congress tweeted, “Shame that the emperor & courtiers of the world’s largest democracy are so insecure (sic).