DNA Special: JNU’s screening of BBC documentary ‘India-The Modi Question’ sparks major controversy

The recently released documentary by BBC called ‘India: The Modi Question’ has stoked a major row in the entire country, with the political parties and students' unions remaining divided on whether this should be screened in India or not.

Even though the Centre and the Ministry of External Affairs have denounced the controversial BBC documentary which reportedly shows Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a bad light, many students across the country are hell-bent on viewing this film and defying the orders of the government.

The BBC documentary, which covers many instances regarding the 2002 Gujarat riots which happened when PM Narendra Modi was the chief minister of the state, is being viewed inside several higher education universities despite strict orders against the screening, which has now sparked a major disturbance in several colleges.

The BBC documentary has been banned in India, and cannot be displayed in any form. Not only this but following the instructions of the Government of India, social media platforms YouTube and Twitter also removed it. Yet, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Hyderabad University are screening this film.

Videos and photos surfaced from both JNU and Hyderabad University where students could be seen screening the documentary despite strict orders against it by the administration. In JNU, the electricity was cut off and yet students began viewing the documentary on their phones and laptops.

The reason behind the screening of this controversial documentary is that many student unions still have the aim of deeming BJP and PM Modi responsible for the 2002 Gujarat riots, even though the clean chit was given to the former CM by the authorities.

The Supreme Court of India has not only dismissed the petitions related to the Gujarat riots, but it has also given a clean chit to the then Chief Minister of Gujarat and current Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Preparations were made for the screening of this propaganda documentary in JNU today i.e. on January 24. Pamphlets were also distributed about this and information was given on social media. However, as soon as the information was received, the JNU administration issued an advisory and banned its screening.

The BBC documentary has been making waves since it was released because on one hand, this documentary puts Prime Minister Modi in the dock for the communal riots of Gujarat, and on the other hand, it has covered up the incident in Godhra.

On February 27, 2002, a mob attacked the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express train at Godhra station in Gujarat and set the coach on fire. In this inhuman attack, 59 kar sevaks in the compartment were burnt to death. These kar sevaks were returning from Ayodhya Janmabhoomi.

The Godhra train massacre was what later kicked off the 2002 Gujarat riots, making it one of the most tragic and gruesome incidents in the history of the country. Despite the sensitive nature of the violence, BBC’s documentary has not mentioned the core reason behind why it happened and is trying to show PM Modi as the person linked to the riots.

The BBC documentary has sparked a political war between BJP and Congress, and it seems like the screening of the documentary at JNU and Hyderabad University is expected to make more waves in the matter.

READ | What is ‘India: The Modi Question’, controversial BBC documentary on PM Modi?