Shashi Tharoor speaking about the BBC Documentary says it doesn’t affect national security saying India’s national security was not fragile.
The government of India blocked a BBC documentary that examines Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role during the 2002 anti-Muslim Gujarat Massacre and banned people from sharing it online. Speaking about the controversial BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Gujarat riots in 2002, Congress Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor said that the argument that it would affect India’s sovereignty was not convincing.
He added that India’s national security and sovereignty weren’t fragile. Talking about the BBC documentary, Shashi Tharoor said, “I am glad that the government has said it won’t interfere with freedom of expression. The youth organization in Kerala organized the screening as a protest against censorship, which I was also in favor of.”
Tensions escalated in the capital, New Delhi, on Wednesday at Jamia Millia University, where a student group said it planned to screen the banned documentary, prompting dozens of police equipped with tear gas and riot gear to gather outside campus gates.
Police, some in plain clothes, scuffled with protesting students and incarcerated at least half a dozen, who were taken away in a van.
“This is the time for Indian youth to put up the truth which everybody knows. We know what the prime minister is doing to the society,” said Liya Shareef, 20, a geography student and member of the student group Fraternity Movement.
JNU in the capital cut off power and the internet on its campus on Tuesday before the documentary was planned to be screened by a students’ union. Authorities said it would disturb the peace on campus, but students nonetheless watched the documentary on their laptops and mobile phones after sharing it on messaging services such as Telegram and WhatsApp.
Shashi Tharoor said, “The argument that it will affect India’s sovereignty is not convincing. It’s not that fragile. Our national security and sovereignty are not something that can be affected so easily by a documentary. We are a strong country.
In the meantime, Anil Antony resigned from Congress due to this issue following “intolerant calls” and “abuses” over his tweet against the controversial BBC documentary.
I have resigned from my roles in @incindia @INCKerala.Intolerant calls to retract a tweet,by those fighting for free speech.I refused. @facebook wall of hate/abuses by ones supporting a trek to promote love! Hypocrisy thy name is! Life goes on. Redacted resignation letter below. pic.twitter.com/0i8QpNIoXW
— Anil K Antony (@anilkantony) January 25, 2023
Antony took to Twitter on Wednesday morning and wrote, “I have resigned from my roles in @incindia @INCKerala. Intolerant calls to retract a tweet, by those fighting for free speech. I refused. @facebook wall of hate/abuses by ones supporting a trek to promote love! Hypocrisy thy name is! Life goes on. Redacted resignation letter below.” He also attached his resignation letter.
Shashi Tharoor said about Anil Antony resigning from Congress that he hadn’t spoken to Anil. “I think he can speak for himself,” said the Congress MP.
