DYFI to screen 'banned' BBC documentary in Thiruvananthapuram, more campuses follow suit

Thiruvananthapuram: Close on heels of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students union deciding to screen the BBC documentary 'India: The Modi Question' on their campus, Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) said it will screen the same in Kerala as well. The two-part documentary claims it investigated certain aspects relating to the 2002 Gujarat riots when Modi was the chief minister of the state. The documentary drew flak from Indian government and has not been screened in India. 

Screening at CUSAT, Maharaja's College and more

The DYFI announcement on the screening in Kerala was made through a Facebook post. The screening will be at Poojappura at 6pm today, by Chala area committee. In Kannur university, it will be screened by Students' Federation of India (SFI),  CPM's students wing, at 2pm on its Mangattuparamba campus. They will be holding screenings in Kochi as well, at Maharaja's College, Ernakulam Law College and CUSAT. 

On January 27, it will be screened on all campuses in Kannur, said Manorama News. Youth Congress will also be holding screenings of the documentary in the state, said Shafi Parambil MP. KPCC Minority Department Chairman Adv Shihabudeen Karyath said that the documentary will be screened in all districts on Republic Day.

DYFI is reportedly planning to screen the documentary all over Kerala.

Surendran and Muraleedharan ask for CM's intervention
Union Minister V Muraleedharan and BJP State President K Surendran have demanded the chief minister's intervention to stop the screening of the documentary.

While Surendran filed a complaint with the CM, Muraleedharan wrote on his Facebook page that showcases the documentary that features allegations denied by the Supreme Court tantamounts to questioning the apex court.

Screening at Hyderabad University

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) filed a complaint on Monday with Hyderabad Central University authorities and the police, alleging that certain students of the university screened the BBC documentary on the campus.  

Meanwhile, the students union of the university responded to the allegations saying it hasn't done anything illegal or wrong. They claim to have screened it before the ban and not on Sunday, according to sources. 

Documentary not available in India
Last Friday, the government directed Twitter and YouTube to block links to the documentary. The Ministry of External Affairs has trashed the documentary as a "propaganda piece" that lacks objectivity and reflects a colonial mindset.

Some of the YouTube channels that aired the first part of the programme were forced to remove the content.

Some of the opposition political leaders too claimed that their tweets about the film were also taken down from the micro blogging site at the behest of the Central Government.