India has blocked the BBC, documentary titled “India: The Modi Question from airing in India. The documentary questioned Modi’s leadership during the 2002 Gujarat riots as the Chief Minister of the state. The riots had killed more than 1000 people mostly Muslims, the riots erupted after a train carrying Hindu pilgrims caught fire and resulted in killing 59 people. Modi had denied accusations that he failed to stop the war and an investigation team was also set up by the Supreme Court to investigate the role of Modi and others in the riots said in a 541-pg report in 2012, it could not find any evidence that could prosecute the then Chief Minister.
The ministry told Twitter to take down atleast 50 tweets made on the documentary, Trinamool MP Derek O’Brien was one of the users whose tweet was taken down by Twitter. The I&B Ministry had ordered the 2 social media giants Twitter and YouTube to take down links using the emergency powers under the Information Technology Rules and the companies have agreed to follow the order as well.
Senior Adviser, Ministry of Information &Broadcasting, Kanchan Gupta said the documentary is ‘hostile propaganda and anti-India garbage’. He also commented that, “vile propaganda was found to be undermining the sovereignty and integrity of India, and having the potential to adversely impact India’s friendly relations with foreign countries as also public order within the country”.
He also said that the documentary also questions the credibility of the Supreme Court of India. A spokesperson for India’s foreign ministry termed the documentary a “propaganda piece” meant to push a “discredited narrative”.