BBC documentary timed to discredit India’s G20 presidency: Kerala Governor

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Wednesday said that the BBC’s documentary was timed to discredit India at a time when it had assumed the G20 presidency. The Kerala Governor’s comment came amid a raging controversy over the documentary, titled ‘India: The Modi Question’, which the Indian government has labelled a “propaganda piece” and directed links to the video to be taken down from YouTube and Twitter.

“This’s the time India has assumed G20 presidency, why was this particular time chosen to bring out this documentary? Particularly coming from a source who had predicted at the time of our freedom that India was not capable of preserving its freedom,” the Kerala Governor said, speaking to reporters on Wednesday.

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The documentary has triggered a nationwide row involving campuses and political parties. While the Opposition has accused the government of resorting to “censorship” and trampling upon the right to freedom of expression by blocking the links to the documentary, special screenings have also been organised by the Congress in Kerala.  

The Congress too suffered an embarrassment as Anil K Antony, son of Congress veteran and former Union minister AK Antony, quit the Congress over the backlash from within the party to his opposition to the documentary. On Tuesday, Antony had suggested that placing the views of the British broadcaster over Indian institutions would “undermine” the country’s sovereignty. He announced his resignation on Twitter a day later.

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Elsewhere, tensions are beginning to grip campuses once again as students organised the screening of the controversial documentary at the JNU and University of Hyderabad. Delhi’s Jamia Milia Islamia plans to screen the documentary on campus at 6 PM today. Students have alleged that some office-bearers of the union have been detained by the police ahead of the scheduled screening.