Controversial documentary shown to 400 students at Hyderabad University

The controversial documentary was shown to 400 students at Hyderabad University: ABVP holds screening of 'The Kashmir Files' in response

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 09:25 AM (IST)
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Controversial documentary shown to 400 students at Hyderabad University

The controversial BBC documentary on PM Modi 'India: The Modi Question' was screened by the Students' Federation of India (SFI) on Thursday by over 400 students at the University of Hyderabad. In response, the student wing of the RSS and ABVP activists screened the film 'The Kashmir Files' on the university campus. On the other hand, the Kerala Congress screened the controversial documentary on the occasion of Republic Day (Thursday).
SFI also posted on social media a photograph of the screening of the BBC documentary on the university campus. It was written in the caption that ABVP workers tried to create a ruckus, but we did not let them succeed.
University Registrar Devesh Nigam has issued a statement on this issue. He said screening of more films on the campus has been stopped to maintain peace. In view of the law and order issue, Dean-Students Welfare has organized counselling for the group of students. While the students say that they will work according to their fixed programmes.
Earlier on January 21, a group of students organized a screening of the documentary on the campus of the University of Hyderabad. The students neither informed the university administration nor took permission for this. After the matter came to light, the university authorities took action.
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Jamia Millia Islamia University also clashed on January 24 over the screening of this documentary. In JNU, so that the students could watch the documentary, the administration cut off the electricity and also disconnected the internet connection.
Even after this the students did not agree and shared the QR code to download the documentary on mobile. The controversy escalated so much that students watching the documentary were pelted with stones late in the night. It is not known who pelted the stones. Taking advantage of the darkness, the attackers fled.
So far 7 students have been detained by the police over the screening of the controversial documentary in Jamia. They are accused of trying to spoil the atmosphere. SFI has postponed the screening till the release of the students. They have been detained on the complaint of the Chief Proctor of the University.
Jamia's Vice Chancellor Najma Akhtar said that the student organization SFI is trying to spoil the atmosphere of the university campus regarding the screening of the controversial documentary. We will not allow any such work. Action will be taken on any unnecessary acts of the students.
Panjab University (PU) also witnessed uproar over the playing of a controversial documentary in the student center. NSUI commissioned this documentary. Many students gathered to see it. Meanwhile, the university authority came to know about this and immediately stopped this documentary which was playing on the projector. Before this, almost half the documentary had gone through.
The BBC released the first episode of The Modi Question, a documentary on the Gujarat riots, on YouTube on 17 January. The second episode was to release on January 24. Even before this, the central government removed the first episode from YouTube. The Government of India has termed the documentary as propaganda against Prime Minister Modi and the country. Foreign Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said that we do not know what is the agenda behind the documentary, but it is not fair. This is propaganda against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Muskan Kumawat Journalist & Writer