Hyderabad: The Telangana BJP on Friday questioned the NALSAR University of Law administration over the screening of the controversial documentary Prisoner No. 626710 is Present, centred on jailed activist Umar Khalid, on the university campus on Wednesday.
BJP Chief Spokesperson and Media In-charge N V Subash said it was deeply concerning that a documentary involving a person facing serious UAPA charges in connection with the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots was screened on the campus. Reports indicate that the screening was organised independently by a group of students and was held as a private event.
Subash questioned whether the NALSAR authorities were aware of the event and whether the required institutional and legal procedures were followed. He said institutions of national importance, particularly law universities, have a greater responsibility to ensure that campus activities remain within the framework of law and do not become platforms for glorifying or politically sanitising individuals facing serious criminal allegations.
“Academic freedom cannot mean freedom to disregard institutional rules or legal requirements. NALSAR is a premier law university funded substantially through public resources and must uphold the Constitution, rule of law and national interests,” Subash said.
He demanded that the university administration ascertain who organised the screening, whether permission was obtained and whether applicable regulations governing the screening of the documentary were complied with.
The BJP also welcomed the vigilance of the ABVP in bringing the matter into the public domain and sought appropriate action if any institutional norms were violated.
Subash said the Telangana BJP would continue to oppose attempts to use educational institutions for political propaganda under the guise of liberalism or academic freedom. “Young minds must be exposed to facts, competing viewpoints and constitutional values, rather than one-sided political narratives,” he added.
