Despite repeated warnings students screen BBC documentary at TISS campus
Jan 28, 2023
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 28 : A group of students known as the Progressive Students' Forum (PSF) organised the screening of the controversial BBC documentary, 'India: The Modi Question" inside the campus of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) despite warnings of 'strict action' issued by the administration.
The second advisory was issued by the institute on Saturday afternoon after reports surfaced that a group of students were planning to screen the controversial documentary.
Soon after the screening of the Documentary, the BJP-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the party's youth wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), staged a protest outside the campus saying "this is a conspiracy against the country, and people of leftist ideology are involved in this conspiracy, also some or the other big forces are supporting them."
BJP Yuva Morcha (BJYM) president Tajinder Singh Tiwana said that this documentary is showing a false story and it is a conspiracy to 'trigger' the students.
BJP Yuva Morcha has also met the TISS management to discuss the matter. According to sources, after the discussion, TISS Management has finally said that the documentary will not be shown on the premises.
Tajinder Singh Tiwana said, "Police (DCP) has assured that the documentary will not be been shown on the college premises and we have full trust in the police. Till 7 PM our few members will be sitting here to ensure that the documentary is not being shown and if it will be shown I will personally come here and enter the college to stop it."
Earlier, in the day the second advisory was issued by the institute stating "It is with utmost seriousness, we note that some students, through a group, are engaged in activities contravening the advisory issued on 27th January regarding the screening of a BBC documentary forbidden by the government and attempting to mobilise and trigger students to do the same."
"We caution the students to understand that any such acts by any student or groups violating the instructions issued on 27th January 2023 and engaging in any activities leading to disturbance of peace and harmony will be held responsible for the same and will be dealt with duly under relevant institutional rules on the matter," the advisory adds.
The BBC documentary has created a fresh row in the country after the government, earlier this month, denounced it and described it as a "propaganda piece" that is designed to push a discredited narrative. The government also pulled down the BBC documentary 'India: The Modi Question' from various social media platforms including Twitter and Youtube.
The row further deepened after JNUSU members allegedly faced a "deliberate" power outage, while they were screening the impugned BBC documentary at the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus in the national capital.
The documentary leads to opposition attacking the government on freedom of speech despite the government terming it as a 'propaganda piece'.
The Delhi Police said the university administration did not allow the screening of the BBC documentary on the campus.