Controversial BBC documentary on PM Modi screened in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram/IBNS/UNI: The controversial BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, "India: The Modi Question" was screened under police protection at several places in Kerala on Tuesday.
The ruling CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) have organised the screening at several places including college campuses where Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Yuva Morcha workers staged protest marches leading to clashes between the police and protestors.
In many places, police resorted to lathicharge and used water cannons to disperse the agitating BJP workers demanding the ban on the screening.
In another political development, Anil Antony, son of senior Congress leader and former defence minister AK Antony, tweeted that: "Despite large differences with BJP, I think those in placing views of BBC, a state sponsored channel with a long history of prejudices, and of Jack Straw, the brain behind the Iraq war, over institutions is setting a dangerous precedence, will undermine our sovereignty."
Despite large differences with BJP, I think those in 🇮🇳 placing views of BBC, a 🇬🇧 state sponsored channel with a long history of 🇮🇳 prejudices,and of Jack Straw, the brain behind the Iraq war, over 🇮🇳 institutions is setting a dangerous precedence,will undermine our sovereignty.
— Anil K Antony (@anilkantony) January 24, 2023
The tweet of Anil Antony, who heads the IT wing of the Congress party in Kerala, has created confusion among the Congress workers who supported the screening of the anti-Modi BBC document.
Meanwhile, the leaders of pro-CPM, the Democratic Youth Federation of India, has (DYFI) announced that the screening will be continued all over the State on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Earlier, BJP leaders in Kerala demanded Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan take steps to ban the screening of the documentary alleging that it is aimed at dividing people and creating conflict in the society.
The Centre has blocked access to the two-part BBC documentary which claims to have investigated certain aspects of the 2002 Gujarat riots when Modi was the state's Chief Minister.
The government on Friday directed social media platforms Twitter and YouTube to block links to the series.
Earlier, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the two-part docu-series was a 'propaganda piece designed to push a particular discredited narrative'.
