SFI Screens BBC Documentary In Hyderabad, Puducherry Varsities. ABVP Shows 'Kashmir Files' In Response

In Puducherry, the ABVP members allegedly created a commotion and assaulted SFI members. 

Chennai: Multiple clashes broke out between the supporters of RSS-affiliated ABVP and the Students Federation of India (SFI) in Hyderabad and Puducherry universities over the screening of BBC documentary on PM Modi. 

The BBC released a two-part series 'India: The Modi Question' highlighting the 2002 Gujarat riots, the scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution of India which gave a special status to Jammu and Kashmir, the beef ban in some of the states and National Register of Citizens (NRC).

After the release of the documentary, Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry told the two social media giants, Twitter and YouTube, to block the accounts sharing the episodes of the BBC documentary. As a result, tweets and youtube videos of the documentaries were removed from the websites. 

Against this backdrop, student groups of various universities have been organising the screening of the documentary on their respective university campus. However, they have also been cancelling the events due to external pressures. Yet, two varsities–Hyderabad and Puducherry– took to screening the documentary on Friday. 

BBC Documentary Vs Kashmir Files At Hyderabad University 

On Friday, SFI organised BBC documentary while ABVP organised 'The Kashmir Files' on the campus.

After the screening, the official Twitter handle of SFI in Hyderabad University said, “Glimpses from the successful screening of the documentary 'India: The Modi Question' organized by SFI HCU on Republic Day following the call of SFI CEC. More than 400 students turned out for the screening rejecting the false propaganda and the attempts of ABVP to create unrest and the administration to disrupt the screening of the documentary.”

“SFI-HCU salutes the student community who have stood for freedom of expression and campus democracy,” 

Pondy University Screening Marred By Clash Between SFI, ABVP

In Puducherry, SFI planned to screen the documentary in the hostels of the university. However, the administration reportedly disconnected the power at the hostel. 

Yet, over 300 students gathered at the gender gate and played the documentary on their mobile phones. On seeing this, the ABVP allegedly created a commotion and assaulted SFI members.