From 1970 to 2023: When BBC was at loggerheads with the Indian Government

New Delhi, Jan 27: The BBC documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief minister of the state, continues to stir controversy. Despite the central government rejecting it as "propaganda" and a reflection of a "colonial mindset", various universities across India, including Hyderabad University, JNU and Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi, Punjab University, etc organised screening of the BBC documentary, 'India: The Modi Question'.

Meanwhile, Section 144 was imposed and large gatherings banned outside Delhi University (DU)'s Arts Faculty, where a screening of the BBC documentary on PM Modi was planned by some of the students.

The BBC, which has all along attempted to isolate Hindus by selectively reporting crimes against Hindus, however, claims it investigated certain aspects relating to the 2002 Gujarat riots when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the state's chief minister.

The Centre had last week directed blocking of multiple YouTube videos and Twitter posts sharing links to the documentary. Both YouTube and Twitter complied with the government after directions were reportedly issued by Secretary, Information and Broadcasting on Friday using the emergency powers under the IT Rules, 2021.

However, this is not the first time such a type of situation arose. There are several previous instances when BBC was at loggerheads with the Indian Government.

• During the Indira-Gandhi led government in 1970s, the centre had accused BBC of showing 'anti-India stories' on the Emergency imposed in the country. It also resulted in the closure of the BBC's office in Delhi for two years.
• In March 2015, the Delhi High Court upheld the ban on the broadcast of a BBC documentary, by British filmmaker Leslee Udwin, featuring Delhi gang rape convict, Mukesh Singh. The documentary's internet broadcast was also prohibited by the court. The BBC had reacted saying that it handled the issue put forth in the fim "responsibility" and was "confident" that it was compatible with the editorial guidelines of the broadcaster.
• In 2017, for five years, the BBC has been prohibited from filming in India's national parks and wildlife sanctuaries when the Indian government claimed a BBC poaching broadcast had caused "irreparable damage" to the nation's image.