The main electric fuse was unplugged by the college administration on Wednesday, January 25, forcing an interruption in the screening of the two-part BBC documentary, India: The Modi Question, at Ernakulam Government Law College in Kerala. After the students protested, the power was turned back on and the screening could continue.
The college administration reportedly took the action in response to a directive from the principal, according to Favas PP, Chairman of the college students' union. "The principal said that the act of screening the documentary amounts to sedition since the Central Government has issued a ban on the same," he said. However, the college authorities' action agitated the students, who took out a protest march to the principal's office, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
"We registered our protest against the principal's action. Following our protest, the principal relented and issued the order to switch on the power supply. Once power was restored, we continued with the screening of the documentary," said the chairman. Meanwhile, the principal was not available for comments, stated The New Indian Express report.
Other similar incidents
In order to prevent the JNU Students' Union from hosting the planned screening of the BBC documentary on Tuesday, January 24, students claim that the university administration cut off power and internet connections to the union's office. Students said that while they were watching the documentary on their phones, stones were thrown at them.
On Monday, January 23, a student organisation at Hyderabad Central University (HCU) organised a screening of the documentary on the university's campus. On Tuesday night, additional screenings were held in a few colleges in Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram.
