NEW DELHI: After BBC documentary India: The Modi –Question, the Bharatiya Janata Party government is now faced with another challenge, this time from Al Jazeera, which made a film “India…who lit the fuse?” on how the Muslim minority of India is living with a sense of fear amid attacks and fiery hate speeches against them by Hindutva leaders in India.
The Al Jazeera’s film forced the Modi government to move the Allahabad high court, UP, for the ban on the documentary through one of its activists. The court wasted no time in coming to rescue the BJP government by ordering New Delhi “to ensure the film is not broadcast until its contents are examined by authorities, and necessary certification is obtained”.
The petitioner, Sudhir Kumar, disguised as social activist filed the petition at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party government, He argued that the film “portrayed a negative and distorted version of facts with the intent of creating disharmony among religious communities”. The court set 6 July as the next date of hearing in the case.
The petitioner also relied on various social media posts commenting upon the film on its preview in some other countries. The petitioner raised the apprehension that the telecast of the film in question may result “in injuring the public order and thereby the sovereignty and integrity of India”.
Interestingly, critics of Modi government ridiculed the grounds on which the Al Jazeera has been restrained from releasing the film that “the film portrays the Muslim minority of India living with a sense of fear and presents a disruptive narrative creating a sense of public hatred, which is far from reality”. They countered the “far from reality” notion paddled by the petitioner in the court and cite global rights watchdogs like Genocide Watch, which have warned of a genocide of Muslims at the hands of Hindutva forces anytime in India. Besides, the critics say, BJP leaders mince no words in inciting Hindus to kill Muslims in open public speeches.
Earlier, India has also banned BBC’s “India: The Modi Question”, a thought provoking and well researched documentary that provides an in depth look into the role of incumbent Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 Gujurat massacre of Muslims.
