BBC documentary on PM Modi screened at Hyderabad University campus, inquiry ordered on ABVP’s complaint
A notice regarding the 'screening and discussion' on the BBC documentary was undersigned "Fraternity Movement, University of Hyderabad". About 70 to 80 students watched the documentary at the screening event.
3 min read
BBC documentary "India:The Modi Question" was screened at the University of Hyderabad by its Fraternity Movement. (Photo: Twitter/@Fraternity_movt) A fresh controversy is brewing at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) and this time it is over the screening of the controversial BBC documentary India: The Modi Question. The documentary was screened at the shopping complex on the north campus last Saturday.
Taking objection to the screening, the RSS-affiliated students’ group Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has lodged a complaint with the varsity administration. When contacted, a UoH spokesperson said the administration has sought a detailed report from the campus security department.
The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued directions to block the first episode of the BBC documentary ‘India: The Modi Question’ on YouTube and asked Twitter to take down tweets which have the link.
A statement from the ABVP said, “ABVP-HCU informed the university admin about this screening because the broadcasting of this documentary was banned recently by the government of India. Also, we demanded the authorities to enquire about and take appropriate action against this incident.”
However, the ABVP is yet to lodge a police complaint. The ABVP’s central working committee member and a student of UoH, B Shravan Raj, said, “We would like to clarify that we have not gone to the police yet or staged a protest on this issue. We have only approached the university administration because they are the authority concerned. The UoH Admin is quiet on the issue.”
A notice regarding the ‘screening and discussion’ on the BBC documentary was undersigned “Fraternity Movement, University of Hyderabad”. About 70 to 80 students watched the documentary at the screening event.
UoH Students Union general secretary Gopi Swamy said people outside the campus are being misled on the matter.
“The screening was held peacefully on Saturday. There was neither any objection to it nor any tension followed. The documentary is blocked on certain platforms but it is not banned. I am really worried for our campus as this incident is being blown out of proportion,” Swamy, also a member of the Ambedkar Students Association (ASA), said.
UoH students union president and a member of SFI, Abhishek Nandan, said the ABVP should stop behaving as the agent of the BJP government at the Centre. “If there is any action against the students who screened the documentary, we will stand with them. It is not a film made by any banned organisation but a media organisation with a worldwide network. It is not banned by the government or any court. We believe the culture of discussion and debate on university campuses should be encouraged,” he added.
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