New Delhi: As the controversy of the telecast of the documentary raged, filmmaker Leslee Udwin left India for the UK. Sources said no lookout circular was issued by the Delhi police, leaving little scope for Central agencies to intervene.
“Yes we informed all channels the documentary must not be released. But the BBC broadcast it in London. (Now) whatever action we have to take, the home ministry will go ahead and do that,” the home minister told reporters.
“We requested the BBC not to telecast the documentary, but the BBC said it is an independent organisation and will go ahead,” he said.
Asked what the government could do, Mr Singh said: “I would not like to make any comment at this moment. All I can say is that whatever is required will be done. If conditions have been violated, there will be appropriate action.”
“We have asked the servers of social media sites to block links to the controversial documentary,” a senior home ministry official said.
It may be recalled similar steps were taken during the communal riots in Muzaffarnagar in 2013, when over 60 websites and weblinks, including popular online tools, were blocked for hosting objectionable content.
Political parties jumped into the controversy Thursday, with the BJP criticising the BBC’s decision to go ahead with the telecast of the interview shot inside Tihar jail, while the Congress said it supported the BBC’s move and was shocked at the ban imposed by the government.
The BBC broadcast the documentary in the UK on Wednesday night at 10 pm GMT (3.30 am IST) after the ban imposed by the Indian government. The legal notice was served by Tihar Jail director-general Alok Kumar Verma through the government standing counsel on Wednesday night.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s spokesperson said the remarks by one of the Delhi gangrape convicts blaming the victim for the assault were “unspeakable”.
Sources in the Delhi police economic offences wing said it was considering sending legal notices to all media groups that showed or published the contents of the documentary India’s Daughter.
The EOW registered an FIR under sections of the IPC and the IT Act.
