'Would you also ban movie on Godse?': Owaisi’s jibe after govt blocks access to BBC documentary on PM Modi

New Delhi, Jan 23: Lashing out at the Centre for blocking the BBC documentary about the 2002 Gujarat riots, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi questioned whether the PM would also block the upcoming movie about "Gandhi Godse: Ek Yudh", who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, is due to release on January 26 on Republic Day.

"The Modi Government has banned the BBC Interview on Twitter and YouTube in India on the grounds of British laws. We ask Modi, did someone from space or sky kill people in the Gujarat riots?," the Hyderabad Lok Sabha MP is heard saying at an event.

He further questioned the leaders of the ruling government regarding their opinion on Godse. "BJP has banned the program. I ask the Prime Minister and BJP leaders, what is your opinion about Godse who assassinated Gandhi? Now there is a movie on Godse. Will the PM ban the movie that is being made on Godse? I challenge the BJP to ban the movie on Godse."

BBC documentary row: Trinamool MPs share link to controversial BBC documentary

After the Centre blocked the two-part BBC documentary about PM Modi, Trinamool Congress MPs Mahua Moitra and Derek O'Brien on Sunday shared the link to the controversial BBC documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and vowed to fight against "censorship".

O'Brien was among the opposition leaders whose tweet on the documentary was removed by Twitter. "Censorship. Twitter has taken down my tweet of the BBC documentary. It received lakhs of views. The one-hour BBC documentary exposes how PM hates minorities," O'Brien had alleged on Saturday.

On Sunday, the two MPs also shared a list of Twitter links "blocked" on the government's direction. "Twitter links of citizens blocked by Govt for sharing @BBC report. @derekobrienmp & @pbhushan1 on it. My link is still up," Moitra tweeted.

The firebrand TMC MP said she will not accept "censorship". She posted a link to the documentary on her official handle stating -"Sorry, Haven't been elected to represent world's largest democracy to accept censorship. Here's the link. Watch it while you can."

"Govt on war footing to ensure no one in India can watch a mere @BBC show. Shame that the emperor & courtiers of the world's largest democracy are so insecure," she tweeted on Saturday.

Centre blocks access to BBC documentary

The BBC, which has all along attempted to isolate Hindus by selectively reporting crimes against Hindus, came up with a series that discusses PM Modi's role in the 2002 Gujarat riots. The government had directed social media platforms Twitter and YouTube to block links to the documentary titled "India: The Modi Question". The Ministry of External Affairs has trashed the documentary as a "propaganda piece" that lacks objectivity and reflects a colonial mindset. The government called it a 'propaganda piece' and reportedly issued directions for blocking multiple YouTube videos and Twitter posts sharing links to the documentary.

Meanwhile, even as the Opposition criticised the government over "imposition of censorship", Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Sunday hit out at the Opposition, adding that "nothing better could be expected from these tukde tukde gang members."

"Some people in India still haven't gotten over the colonial intoxication. They consider BBC above the Supreme Court of India and lower the country's dignity and image to any extent to please their moral masters," the Union minister tweeted on Sunday.

"Anyway, nothing better can be expected from these tukde tukde gang members whose only aim is to weaken the might of India," he added.