Documentary maker upset with India assuming G20 presidency: Kerala governor

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Wednesday raised questions on the release of the controversial BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a time when India has assumed the G20 presidency.

The Kerala Governor has alleged that the "foreign documentary maker" is upset with the fact that India is now seen as a "leader of the world".

"This is the time when India has assumed the G20 presidency. Why this particular time has been chosen to bring out this documentary? Particularly coming from a source who predicted at the time of our freedom that India is not capable of preserving its freedom, its democracy, and India will be broken into pieces," Kerala Governor said while addressing the mediapersons in Thiruvananthapuram.

He continued: "With the same mindset they see that India is not only united, democratic, has not only preserved its freedom but now India is being viewed as a leader of the world, therefore they are feeling upset. They had predicted that India will fall to pieces."

India holds the Presidency of the G20 from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023. For India, the G20 Presidency also marks the beginning of "Amritkaal", the 25-year period beginning from the 75th anniversary of its independence on 15 August 2022, leading up to the centenary of its independence, towards a futuristic, prosperous, inclusive and developed society, distinguished by a human-centric approach at its core. The 43 Heads of Delegations- the largest ever in G20-will be participating in the final New Delhi Summit in September this year.

As India took over G20 Presidency for the year 2023 from Indonesia, all eyes are set on India as New Delhi would set the agenda that would create an environment of better cooperation between the global south and advanced nations as it stands non-partisan and enjoys the trust of both.

The agenda will likely be cooperation for sustainable and equitable development for shared global peace and prosperity and capacity building to face emerging global challenges.

Further addressing the mediapersons, the Kerala governor said that anyone who considers "old colonial masters" more important than the Supreme Court of India should be treated with the contempt it deserves.

"I really wonder at the mind of our own people who are trying to attach more importance to the opinion of some foreign documentary maker, that too our old colonial masters than giving importance to the verdict of the highest judiciary of India. I don't think this issue needs to be discussed anymore. It should be treated with the contempt it deserves," Governor Khan said.

The governor's remarks have come in the backdrop of the release of a BBC documentary, India: The Modi Question, which has been banned by the Centre describing it as a 'propaganda piece' designed to push a discredited narrative.

Despite the ban, several institutions in the country screened the documentary which even took a disturbing face as people started protesting against it.

The Kerala Police on Wednesday registered a case against the Bharatiya Janata Party protestors for unlawful assembly and traffic disruption in Thiruvananthapuram.

The BJP workers were protesting on the streets of Poojapura and Manaveeyam Veedhi where the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Youth Congress screened the controversial BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The DYFI Kerala State Secretary VK Sanoj also screened the documentary on the premises of the Kannur old bus stand under the leadership of the DYFI Kannur District Committee.

DYFI Central committee members M Shajar, MLA M Vijin, District Secretary Sarin Shashi, President Mohammad Afzal and others also participated in the program.

In Telangana as well, a group of students at Hyderabad Central University (HCU) organised the screening of the documentary inside the campus on Monday night (January 23). The screening was organised by the Student Islamic Organisation (SIO) and the Muslim Student Federation, known as the Fraternity group, and over 50 students from these groups attended the screening.

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) student leader Mahesh said, "We have escalated the matter to the University authorities and have demanded action against the organisers. The group is organising screening without permission inside the campus premises."

Later, the Hyderabad Police said that they have received the information about the movie screening but no written complaint was lodged.

( With inputs from ANI )

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