New Delhi, March 5 – Amid ongoing outrage in India over the documentary featuring one of the Nirbhaya gangrape accused in it, BBC on Thursday morning aired the controversial film in UK. After banning it in India on Wednesday, the government had demanded to bar the film’s telecast worldwide.
BBC journalist Leslee Udwin’s “India’s Daughter” features conversations with Mukesh Singh and fellow convicts who raped and tortured a 23-year-old woman on a moving bus in December 2012. Despite a ban on its telecast in India, the documentary is available on Youtube and is being widely shared on social networking sites.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said the documentary would not be aired in India and accused its makers of violating “permission conditions” by not showing the complete unedited footage to jail officials.
“It was noticed the documentary film depicts the comments of the convict which are highly derogatory and are an affront to the dignity of women,” Singh told lawmakers in parliament. “How was permission given to interview a rapist? It is shocking. I will get this investigated.”
Comments released to the media this week showed that in the film, Mukesh blames the victim for the crime and resisting rape. He also says women are more responsible than men for rapes. Late on Tuesday, the home minister directed Delhi police to obtain a court order prohibiting the film’s release.
Police said the ban was imposed as Mukesh’s comments could create an atmosphere of “fear and tension” that may fuel public anger. Mukesh’s comments in “India’s Daughter” have grabbed headlines in Indian newspapers and sparked outrage on social media. On Wednesday, it was debated in parliament.
-INDIA TODAY
