Two students reportedly on Tuesday pelted stones on JNUSU activists who defied the administration’s ban on screening of BBC documentary “The Modi Question” by watching it on their laptops and phones using a QR code. The students were identified as Gaurav and Vikas, who were chased by JNUSU members. An altercation ensued between the duo and JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh in full media glare.
Later in a video message, Gaurav denied being involved in halting of the event. “I am a heart patient and JNUSU students chased me down. If not for the media’s presence, they would have mob lynched me. I have nothing to do with this event,” he said.
ABVP president Rohit Kumar confirmed to The New Indian both Gaurav and Vikas were ABVP members. “We have filed a complaint before the police on heckling of our students by left. We also in principal object the screening of the movie but none of our students indulged in any sort of violence or stone pelting.”
“Supporting a British-constructed narrative is coherent with the colonial mindset of British sepoys. Many in the opposition, as well as so-called student organizations, are indeed British stooges, spreading a propaganda-driven BBC documentary in Indian educational institutions,” said ABVP member Rohit Kumar.
The JNU administration had released an advisory barring the screening of the film. “It has come to the notice of the administration that a group of students has in the name of JNUSU released a pamphlet for screening a documentary/movie “India: The Modi Question” scheduled for 24th January 2023 at 9:00 p.m. in Teflas. No prior permission for this event has been taken from the JNU Administration. This is to emphasize that such an unauthorized activity may disturb the peace and harmony of the University Campus,” said the statement.