TISS students watching BBC documentary on Modi

Mumbai’s Tata Social Sciences Institute (TISS) students Saturday took out their laptops to watch a BBC documentary on Indian PM Modi as the screening was cancelled after BJP protests.

BBC’s documentary on PM Narendra Modi was banned across the country using the IT Rules of 2021. Indian Government labelled the film a “propaganda piece that lacks objectivity and reflects a colonial mindset”

A student leader stated that the TISS Management and Mumbai Police pressed them and did not let them take the film and the projector to the venue in view of the protests. He said that "Accordingly, we decided to cancel the screening. However, we have forwarded the entire documentary to all the students which have now reached over 600 students on the TISS Deonar campus and outside and they are watching it on their gadgets like mobiles, laptops or tablets.”

The students proceeded to watch the documentary even when a very strict advisory was released by the TISS management warning the students of strict action taken against if they went ahead with the plans.

Not backing off, the Progressive Students Forum (PSF) said it was intended to be "a symbolic protest" against the government's move to block access to the documentary and their move was in solidarity with other student organizations on campuses across the country.

The PSF's rebellious attempt came after similar protests erupted in Delhi against the students of Delhi University and around 24 were detained on Friday, as some other institutions in different parts of the country also attempted similar screenings.

Mumbai unit Bharatiya Janata Party President Ashish Shelar slammed the TISS-PSF plans to screen the documentary and urged the Maharashtra government to take action against the students for attempting to create law and order problems.