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India – January 2023

Government uses emergency powers to remove clips of controversial documentary from social media

India's Information and Broadcasting Ministry invoked emergency powers on 21 January under Rule 16 of the Information Technology Rules 2021 to force social media companies to remove clips of a BBC documentary that examines Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role in the 2002 riots in Gujarat state. University authorities reportedly attempted to prevent public screenings of the documentary at several universities, by banning gatherings, electrical outages and in some instances detaining students. Activists and oppositions argue the reaction to the documentary, which the BBC had not planned to air in India, is part of a trend of increased censorship in the country.

Sources: Human Rights Watch, The Hindu, The Gazette of India, The New York Times, Al Jazeera

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Civil Liberties
Freedom of Association and Assembly
Freedom of Expression
Freedom of The Press