BBC documentary on PM Modi: Sources said the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued instructions to block several YouTube videos which published the first episode of the BBC documentary “India: The Modi Question”. Orders were also issued to Twitter to block over 50 tweets containing links to related YouTube videos.
The directions were issued on Friday by the Secretary, Information and Broadcasting, reportedly using emergency powers under the IT Rules, 2021. Sources say that both YouTube and Twitter have complied with the instructions.
The documentary, produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation, the UK’s public broadcaster, was earlier called by the Ministry of External Affairs a “propaganda piece” that lacks objectivity and reflects a colonial mindset. While it was not made available in India by the BBC in India, it appears that some YouTube channels have uploaded it to promote an anti-India agenda. It is reported that YouTube has also been instructed to block the video if it is re-uploaded to its platform. Twitter has also been directed to identify and block tweets containing links to videos on other platforms.
Reliable sources have confirmed that senior officials from several ministries, including the Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the MIB, examined the documentary and found it to be an attempt to attack the authority and credibility of the Supreme Court of India, creating divisions among various Indian communities. Sows, and making baseless allegations regarding the actions of foreign governments in India.
Accordingly the documentary was found to undermine the sovereignty and integrity of India, and has the potential to adversely affect public order within the country as well as India’s friendly relations with foreign states.