A senior police official said BBC Documentary Row: 24 students were detained earlier for trying to screen the documentary in Delhi University.
Two days after Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University dramatically cut off power and electricity to the campus to prevent students from screening the controversial BBC series on PM Narendra Modi, students from two other top universities in the national capital Delhi University and Ambedkar University -have faced similar treatment from university administration and the police.
A group of students raised slogans and protested at both the universities, several of them were detained by the police. Large gatherings have been banned outside DU’s Arts Faculty, where a screening was planned, and authorities have disconnected power supply in Ambedkar University to stop another planned screening.
By evening, a huge crowd could be seen clashing with the police and security guards of the university. They raised slogans of “go back Delhi Police” and accused the police of manhandling protesters. As the day progressed, more students gathered at the Delhi University’s Arts faculty to protest against the imposition of Section 144 in the area to stop the screening.
A senior police official confirmed 24 students were detained earlier for trying to screen the documentary in DU. Like in JNU, the students here had also resorted to watching it on their phones and laptops after a QR code with a link to the documentary was circulated among them. However, more students turned up later, asserting they would hold a public screening.
However, if students anyway want to watch it on their phones, that’s their discretion. Sources in the Delhi University administrations had said that no mass screening or public screening will be allowed in the campus.
Police sources said the universities haven’t given permission for such screening, and Delhi Police has also been contacted. Talks were earlier held to persuade students to take back the call for the screening on their own, sources said, adding that there will be heavy police deployment for security reasons and action will be taken if students gather for the screening.