Delhi University Students Detained For Planning To Screen BBC Documentary, Section 144 Imposed On North Campus

The Bhim Army Student Federation said that it will hold the screening at 5 pm outside the Arts Faculty in the North Campus of the University of Delhi.

Police deployment outside DU North Campus

New Delhi: As many as 24 students were detained and Section 144 under CrPC was imposed outside the Faculty of Arts at the University of Delhi in the wake of a call by NSUI-KSU for the screening the BBC documentary series on the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 2002 Gujarat riots.

#WATCH | Students & members of NSUI protesting outside the Faculty of Arts at the University of Delhi, being detained by the Police

Provisions u/s 144 CrPC are imposed outside the Faculty,in wake of a call by NSUI-KSU for screening of a BBC documentary on PM Modi, at the Faculty pic.twitter.com/EYWjubCSfy

— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2023

The Bhim Army Student Federation said that it will hold the screening at 5 pm outside the Arts Faculty in the North Campus of the University of Delhi.

"Around 4 pm today, around 20 persons gathered outisde the Arts faculty gate to screen the banned BBC documentary. As it could lead to disturbance in the area, they were asked to disperse from the spot. However, when they refused, they were detained. A total of 24 persons have been detained. Currently, the situation is normal," Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi said.

"Section 144 was imposed in December till February 28 to prevent any law and order problems at the university," another official said.

Earlier in the day, Delhi University proctor Rajni Abbi said the varsity will not allow BBC's documentary to be screened on campus.

“We have written to Delhi Police regarding this. They will take action. Proper police deployment would be done. We cannot allow such a screening," Abbi said, adding, “We have received information that NSUI is planning to screen this documentary at the Arts faculty... No permission has been sought for it. We will not allow such behaviour.”

Delhi Police personnel also entered the Ambedkar University campus to stop Students' Federation of India (SFI) activists from screening the documentary, several students alleged, even as the outfit made alternative arrangements to watch it on phones and laptops.

SFI alleged the screening could not be held as the administration of the government-run varsity disconnected power supply but a QR code with a link to the film was shared with students so that they could watch it on their personal devices.

Notably, the Jamia Millia Islamia on Wednesday became the centre of a chaos after SFI's plans to organise the screening of the documentary were thwarted by the university and the police. The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) also witnessed a similar ruckus and protests over the screening of the series on earlier Tuesday.

It is to be noted that the government had recently directed social media platforms to block links to the documentary titled "India: The Modi Question", with the External Affairs Ministry trashing it as a "propaganda piece" that lacks objectivity and reflects a colonial mindset.