Stones pelted at us for watching BBC docu on PM, claim JNU students

New Delhi: The JNU students’ union could not hold the proposed screening of a controversial BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday because the varsity’s administration snapped power and internet connections at the union’s office, students alleged.

They, however, watched the documentary on their mobile-phones and other devices.

Students, who had gathered outside the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) office for the screening of the documentary, claimed that stones were thrown at them when they were watching it on their phones.

However, a senior police officer said that no such incident was reported to police.

There was also no immediate official response from the JNU administration to the allegations and claims of the students. It had on Monday said that the union had not taken its permission for the event and it should be cancelled.

Students had downloaded the documentary on their mobile-phones through an online application to watch and share it, claimed All India Students Association (AISA) national president N Sai Balaji, who was present for the screening along with other students.

The government had on Friday directed social media platforms Twitter and YouTube to block links to the documentary titled “India: The Modi Question”. The Ministry of External Affairs has trashed the documentary as a “propaganda piece” that lacks objectivity and reflects a colonial mindset.

“They (the JNU administration) have cut off the power and internet. We shared the documentary with other students and are watching it together,” Balaji said.

Balaji alleged that there were police personnel in civil clothes roaming on the campus. However, there was no immediate response from the police on this claim.