The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has issued a statement calling for restoring a BBC documentary “India: The Modi Question” on YouTube and Twitter which was blocked by the Indian government.
The Indian government's order to social media platforms to block the BBC documentary about Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an attack on the free press, said Beh Lih Yi, CPJ's Asia program coordinator in the statement.
The block order blatantly contradicts the country's stated commitment to democratic ideals, said Beh Lih Yi.
“Authorities must immediately restore full and unrestricted access to the documentary,” she said.
Besides, the authorities must withdraw regulations under the Information Technology Act that imperil press freedom and freedom of expression online, said the CPJ's Asia program coordinator.
Also Read: India blocks BBC documentary on PM Modi
On January 20, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of India ordered YouTube and Twitter to take down links sharing the first episode of the two-part BBC documentary.
The documentary was made following investigation of Modi's alleged role in 2002 riots in Gujarat, according to news reports.
The clips of the documentary went viral on social media though it was not aired in India.
The ministry issued its order under legislation, updated in 2021, that expanded the government's powers to censor online content, which CPJ criticized at the time.
Authorities have also recently proposed legislation that would require intermediaries, including social media platforms, to remove news articles identified as “fake” or “false,” according to news reports.
CPJ emailed Google, Twitter, and the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for comment, but did not receive any replies, added the statement.
