NEW DELHI, Jan 24 (Reuters) – A leading Indian university cut off electricity and the internet on its campus on Tuesday ahead of the screening of a BBC documentary about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which the student union dismissed as propaganda by India, broadcaster NDTV reported. . .
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in the capital, New Delhi, threatened with disciplinary action if the documentary was shown, saying the move could disrupt peace and harmony on campus.
The Modi government has released the documentary that questions its leadership during the deadly riots that took place in his hometown of Gujarat in 2002.propaganda piece“, blocked the broadcast and also banned the sharing of any clip via social media in India.
Modi was prime minister of the western state at the time of the violence that killed more than 2,000 people, mostly Muslims.
Long regarded as a bastion of leftist politics, JNU’s student body was to screen the documentary “India: The Modi Problem” at 9 pm (1530 GMT).
A person on campus with the students said that the documentary is now watched on mobile phones with links shared on Telegram and Vimeo. (VMEO.O) after the power is gone.
“There are currently about 300 people on campus watching the documentary on their phones, as the power went out about half an hour before the screening,” an anonymous person told Reuters.
Footage taken from inside the campus shows some of the students huddled together and watching the movie on a laptop computer propped up on a chair.
The JNU media coordinator did not comment when asked about reports of on-campus internet outages and power outages. An administration source said that a fault in the power line caused blackouts to faculty housing and other facilities, and the matter is being investigated.
The university administration had previously announced that it did not allow documentary screenings.
“This is to highlight that any unauthorized activity can disrupt the peace and harmony of the university campus.”
“The students/individuals concerned are strongly advised to cancel the proposed program immediately, otherwise strict disciplinary action may be taken according to university rules.”
Union president Aishe Ghosh asked students to attend the screening via Twitter, explaining that the screening was “banned” by an “elected government” of the “biggest” democracy.
Ghosh did not respond to phone calls and a text message after reports emerged of a power outage on campus.
Police said police vigilance was increased following a request from the campus.
The documentary was also shown on some campuses in the Communist-ruled southern state of Kerala, according to The Hindu newspaper.
India’s interior ministry did not respond to requests for comment on the government’s plans should the film be screened on JNU and in Kerala.
The 2002 Gujarat violence erupted after a train carrying Hindu pilgrims caught fire and killed 59 people. Crowds then ravaged Muslim quarters. 11 people who set the train on fire in 2017 were sentenced to life imprisonment.
Modi denied accusations that he did not do enough to stop the riots and was acquitted in 2012 after a Supreme Court-supervised investigation. Another petition questioning his acquittal was also rejected last year.
Last week, the BBC said the documentary was “meticulously researched” and featured a wide variety of voices and opinions, including responses from people from Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
Sudipto Ganguly, Shivam Patel and Rupam Jain reported; Additional reporting by Krishn Kaushik; Editing: Robert Birsel and Clarence Fernandez
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