JNU power cut off by Authorities over screening of BBC Documentary on Modi

Students attacked and stone pelted

On Tuesday evening students of Jawaharlal Nehru University decided to screen the documentary by BBC “India: The Modi Question” in campus at around 9pm. However by around 8.30 power were cut off by the authorities to prevent students from screening the documentary that has been banned the government in India. The gates were locked and students were left covered in darkness in the campus. 

The central government has banned the two-part documentary, blocking YouTube videos and Twitter posts sharing links to the film that claims it investigated aspects relating to the 2002 Gujarat riots. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief minister of the state then. The Ministry of External Affairs has called the documentary a “propaganda piece”

Even though the power was cut off the students didn’t stop and continued to watch the documentary by sharing the video via a QR code on apps and bluetooth, they sat around the community centre, watching the documentary. Another group of students watched it on laptops, huddled on the ground. “They can cut off the WiFi and electricity but they can’t stop us from viewing the documentary.”

Around 10.30 students started to get attacked. Stones and broken glasses were pelted at those gathered to watch the documentary. The Left and Right-affiliated students’ bodies of the institution took to pointing fingers. The Left-affiliated All India Students’ Association (AISA) released a statement late in the night which said, “AISA JNU unit strongly condemns this shameful act of hooliganism by the ABVP. The democratic voice of the students will rage against fascist politics of BJP – RSS.”