CPM slams cops, univ over BBC documentary screening ban

CHENNAI: CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan Friday condemned the Tamil Nadu police and university authorities for preventing students from watching the BBC’s two-part documentary on Gujarat Riotsdenying their fundamental rights.

“The public and democratic organisations are screening the documentary which cannot be seen on the internet. In Chennai, police blocked the screening of a documentary on behalf of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) and arrested them for watching the film on their cell phones. The university administration has blocked the screening of the documentary SFI at the University of Madras. These actions are in no way justifiable,” he said in a statement.

The BBC produced a documentary based on new evidence exposing the role of the then-Narendra Modi-led Gujarat government, it said, adding that the Union government has allegedly misused provisions of IT rules to block the documentary. On Thursday, police detained members of DYFI and CPM councillors for watching the BBC documentary on their phones at Anna Nagar. SFI members planned to screen the documentary at Madras University which was stopped by the officials on Friday.

Stating that it is a fundamental right of the citizens of India to watch the documentary and know the news and decide on it, he said that police and educational institutions have acted against this fundamental right. “CPM State Secretariat strongly condemns these actions,” he said, calling upon the Left and democratic organisations to screen the documentary at all possible places across the State.

“We strongly urge the Government of Tamil Nadu and the Police to protect the fundamental rights of the people, realising that concealing the facts from public view will lead the country to a more regressive environment,” he said.