The screening of the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s involvement in the 2002 Gujarat riots – despite a ban from the government and concerted gagging attempts by the universities – has made headlines across the world.
Students from several universities across India vowed to continue to show the documentary, media reports said.
On Wednesday, the screening of the documentary at several campuses was disrupted by a power cut and Internet outage and intimidation allegedly by the activists from the ABVP, the student wing of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
This action against students – and their defiance – has been reported by the international publications including the New York Times, NPR, CBS News, Washington Post, Al Jazeera, Fortune, South China Morning Post, Independent, NBC News, Slate and BBC itself.
The BBC has said the documentary was “rigorously researched” and involved a wide range of voices and opinions, including responses from people in the BJP.
The first episode of the BBC‘s documentary series India: The Modi Question holds the prime minister and his party responsible for the targeted violence against Muslims in 2002. It also cites a previously unreported UK government report which held Modi directly responsible.—Agencies
