As the screening of a contentious BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Gujarat riots was prohibited by the university administration, several Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students marched late on Tuesday night to the Vasant Kunj police station in New Delhi to file a complaint against those who they claim threw stones at them.
A police complaint has been made after JNU Students’ Union President Aishe Ghosh said that the student body linked with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), threw stones at the audience when the film was being screened.
In order to halt the showing of “India: The Modi Question,” many students who had congregated at the JNU students’ union office on Tuesday claimed the university administration had cut power and internet. They then allegedly launched a protest after being attacked with stones.
Later that evening, the protesting students marched to the Vasant Kunj Police station to file a report against the “stone pelters” while yelling “Inqlaab Zinadabad” and anti-JNU administration chants.
“We filed a complaint, and the police assured us they will be immediately looking into the incident. We gave the name and details of all the persons involved. As of now, we are calling off the protest. We will also file a complaint at the JNU Proctor office,” news agency quoted Aishe Ghosh as saying.
According to a JNU administrative employee who asked to remain anonymous regarding the power outage on campus, “At the university, a significant (power) line fault has occurred. We are investigating it. According to the engineering division, a solution will be found as soon as possible.”
According to JNU Vice-Chancellor Santishree Pandit, a portion of the campus was without power. “A significant line fault existed. There is no light everywhere, not even in the faculty housing or other amenities. The engineering wing is investigating the problem, according to Pandit. Teachers at JNU verified that the faculty housing had lost power.
The JNU had stated in an advisory on Monday that the students’ union had not obtained its consent for the event and that it should be cancelled under threat of severe disciplinary punishment. The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) countered that there was no desire to sow discord of any kind through the documentary or movie’s showing.
According to some media sources, pupils were given QR codes so they could view the documentary on their smartphones. Additionally, there are films making the rounds on social media that purport to show Ghosh handing out the QR codes. Independent news organisations were unable to confirm the legitimacy of the videos.
JNUSU joint secretary Mohd Danish claimed that about 8.30 p.m., the administration turned off electricity access. While the projection could not take place, he said that students found other ways to watch the video and defy the administration’s order.
The ABVP refuted the claim, claiming that they were not there. “We didn’t go to the location, and none of us students were there. They are merely using our identities to gain more attention,” according to ABVP Delhi media convenor Ambuj.
The Center had instructed Twitter and YouTube to remove links to the documentary on Friday. The documentary has been derided by the Ministry of External Affairs as a “propaganda effort” that lacks objectivity and exhibits a colonial mentality. The government’s action has been criticised by the opposition, though.