December 3, 2024: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with several senior BJP leaders, attended a screening of the film The Sabarmati Report on Monday in the Balyogi Auditorium of Parliament House. Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Health Minister JP Nadda, and other BJP MPs were also present at the screening, which was organised by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The event was followed by a dinner, according to an invitation from Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
After the screening, PM Modi took to X to share his thoughts, stating, “Joined fellow NDA MPs at a screening of ‘The Sabarmati Report.’ I commend the makers of the film for their effort.”
The film focuses on the 2002 Godhra train fire tragedy, which claimed the lives of 59 people, mostly returning from Ayodhya after a religious ceremony. The incident triggered widespread communal riots in Gujarat, where Modi was serving as chief minister at the time. The film claims to present the “truth” behind the tragic event.
Several opposition MPs criticized the screening, accusing the government of using it as a platform for propaganda. “It is problematic that the Prime Minister attends the screening of a propaganda movie after Parliament is adjourned, especially on a topic where many allegations have been made against him,” said Saket Gokhale, a Rajya Sabha MP from the TMC. He further questioned, “Is Parliament a place to answer to the people or a cinema hall?”
Congress MP Manish Tewari also weighed in, expressing surprise over the event, stating that during his tenure as the Information and Broadcasting Minister, no films had been screened in Parliament. He added, “MIB used to hold screenings at the Mahadev Auditorium, but never in Parliament.”
This isn’t the first time a film has been shown in Parliament. In August 2022, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect was also screened, with I&B Minister Anurag Thakur in attendance.
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#TheSabarmatiReport #PMModi #BJP #OppositionCriticism #ParliamentScreening #GodhraIncident #SaketGokhale #ManishTewari #AshwiniVaishnaw #IndianPolitics
