‘Betrayal of everything': Shashi Tharoor after DU suspends student over BBC docu
1 min read 22 Mar 2023, 11:43 AM ISTThe BBC had in January this year released the documentary film titled ‘India: The Modi Question,’ which features the Gujarat riots of 2002.
PremiumCongress leader Shashi Tharoor condemned Delhi University's decision to suspend the student for watching a BBC documentary on PM Modi and Gujarat riots. The varsity took the ‘extreme step’ against Ph.D. scholar Lokesh Chugh for his participation in showing the documentary on campus.
He called it a disgrace and a betrayal of everything a university should stand for.
“As a @Delhiuniversit alum committed to academic freedom & independence of thought, I am appalled by this shocking decision. To suspend a student for two years for watching a documentary in a democracy is a disgrace & a betrayal of everything a university should stand for. Shame!" Tharoor tweeted.
Lokesh Chugh is the national secretary of the Congress-affiliated National Students' Union of India. Ravinder from the law faculty has also been suspended along with Lokesh.
The BBC had in January this year released the documentary film titled 'India: The Modi Question," which features the Gujarat riots of 2002. The film caused controversy for alluding to the leadership of Modi as chief minister during the riots while disregarding the clean chit given by the Supreme Court.
The government ordered Twitter and YouTube to take down the documentary's links that sparked controversy across the country. PM Modi's close aide said that the documentary was found to be “undermining the sovereignty and integrity of India".
The Income Tax department raided BBC offices weeks after the British broadcaster on 17 January released a documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots.
The agency had initiated the operation based on the allegation of a “deliberate non-compliance with Indian laws including transfer pricing rules and diversion of profits illegally".
