Published: 27th January 2023
Power-cut halts controversial BBC documentary screening at Presidency University; students protest
The controversial BBC documentary on PM Narendra Modi was banned by the Government of India and the Ministry of External Affairs called it propaganda
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Here are the details | (Pic: EdexLive)
Another screening, another university. This time, it happened at Presidency University (PU) in Kolkata. The controversial BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India: The Modi Question, was screened at PU on January 27, Friday, afternoon, following which, tensions started to mount, stated a report by IANS.
It was at the badminton court within the university that the documentary was screened and it was organised by the Students' Federation of India (SFI), the students' wing of the CPI-M.
But 30 minutes into the screening, which was well-attended by a large number of people, the power connection was snapped and hence, the screening came to a standstill. It was the allegation of SFI activists that the power cut was deliberate and was done by the authorities of the university, following directions from the state government. Post the cut, the activists staged a protest and slogans were raised against PU authorities and the state government.
As per Mayukh Biswas, SFI's national General Secretary, the incident that occurred at PU goes on to prove that as far as an anti-student stand is concerned, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee are in alignment.
"Electricity connections was snapped at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus in New Delhi following the instructions of Delhi Police. In the case of Presidency University, the same thing happened following the instructions of the West Bengal government," Biswas said, as per the IANS report.
The SFI activist also claimed that in advance the authorities were informed about the screening of the BBC documentary. "Presidency University is a state university and hence, it cannot be construed that the incidence of power service disconnection was done without the nod of the state government," he said.
It may be recalled that on January 26, Thursday evening, the documentary was screened without any hassles at Jadavpur University.
