Last Update: January 28, 2023, 13:27 IST
Several students alleged that Delhi Police personnel entered the Ambedkar University campus on Friday to prevent SFI activists from screening the controversial BBC documentary on the 2002 Godhra riots, even as alternates to watch it on phones and laptops Arrangements were also made.
Police officials, however, said that they are visiting all the college and university campuses in the district to ensure peace in the area.
Left-affiliated Students Union India (SFI) alleged that the screening could not be held as the administration of the government-run university cut off power supply, but a QR code with a link to the short film was shared with students so that they could watch it on their personal devices. Can see
The SFI had called for a screening of the documentary at 1 pm, while the All India Students’ Association (AISA) announced that it would hold protests at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Jamia Millia Islamia to condemn the incidents. Following a call for the screening of the film earlier this week.
“Why have the police been called inside the AUD? AUD students wish to express solidarity against ABVP violence and police repression on students of JNU and Jamia respectively. Why should police be present inside the campus,” tweeted AISA Delhi.
A senior police officer said that DCP (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi and his team are visiting all the colleges and universities in his district.
“We are visiting various colleges and universities to ensure that peace and tranquility in the area is not disturbed. The situation at Ambedkar University is peaceful and under control. Police is on the spot,” he said.
Yashita Singhi, joint secretary of SFI Delhi, said that to stop the screening, the university switched off power supply. “Even the supply to the adjacent Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University (IGDTUW) was disconnected. But we shared the QR code with the students who are either viewing it on their laptops or phones. Singhi claimed, “The proctor was not happy to see the screening process like this and hence asked the guard to call the police.”
Several students claimed that the police were asking security guards to “check” the students.
There was no immediate reaction from the university administration on the presence of police inside the campus.
Earlier in the day, a university official said they came to know about the screening through media reports. The official said no permission was sought from him for the event.
The government recently directed social media platforms to block links to a documentary titled “India: The Modi Question”, after the Ministry of External Affairs dismissed it as a “propaganda piece” that lacked objectivity and Reflected a colonial mindset.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)