The News Minute | March 5, 2015 | 05.30 am IST
Not even a day after home minister Rajnath Singh directed BBC to ensure that “India’s daughter’, a documentary made by British filmmaker Leslee Udwin on the 2012 gang rape was not broadcast or carried on any social media platform, the channel has gone ahead and broadcast the documentary early Thursday morning (IST).
To be originally aired on March 8, International Women’s Day, the documentary was to be telecast in seven different countries including India. It however was screened on Thursday morning at 3:30 am on BBC Four.
However, this was before India went ahead and banned NDTV from screening it.
"This harrowing documentary, made with the full support and cooperation of the victims parents, provides a revealing insight into a horrific crime that sent shock waves around the world and led to protests across India demanding changes in attitudes towards women," said BBC in a statement, reported PTI.
The statement also said that the “programme complies with our editorial guidelines” . The statement came in the wake of demands not only to prevent the telecast in India, but also to prevent it from being shown in other countries.
Rajnath Singh has said that a notice had been sent to BBC4 not to screen it saying that it could be a case of using such incidents for commercial reasons.
Earlier on Wednesday, both houses of the Parliament debated over the screening of the documentary. "Our government condemns the incident of December 16, 2012 in the strongest possible terms and will not allow any attempt by any individual, group or organisation to leverage such unfortunate incidents for commercial benefits," Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, reported IANS.
"In what condition this order was given I have asked for full information on that. In future, no one will be given permission to interview rapists," the home minister said, as both houses saw members protest against the documentary.