New Delhi has reportedly ordered at least two online platforms to block a Canadian documentary in India, on the killing of a Sikh separatist. The development comes amid a diplomatic standoff between the two countries.
The video report, part of Canadian state broadcaster CBC's ‘The Fifth Estate’ series, sought to investigate the fatal shooting of prominent Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last June. Nijjar vocally supported the creation of an independent Khalistan state – a homeland for India's minority Sikhs. New Delhi sees pro-Khalistan sentiment as a threat to its internal security, and designated Nijjar a “terrorist” in 2020.
Last September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau linked the assassination to India, triggering a feud. New Delhi has vehemently denied the allegations and called them “absurd.”
CBC has said it stands by its reporting. The documentary included a wide range of voices, witnesses, and experts on the subject “to ensure fairness and balance,” the broadcaster said in a statement.
“YouTube said it had received an order from India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to block access to the video of the story from its website,” CBC reported.
An attempt to access the video in India brings up a message saying it is “currently unavailable” because of an order from the government related to national security or public order.
The CBC said it had received a similar e-mail from X (formerly Twitter), saying Indian law obliges the platform to withhold access to the content in India. However, the video remains available to watch in other countries.
The Canadian broadcaster said the Indian government cited the Information Technology Act 2000 in making the orders.
The request marks the second time in just over a year that India has sought to block a documentary critical of the Indian government or its prime minister, Narendra Modi. In 2023, India used emergency laws to block the distribution of the BBC documentary 'India: The Modi Question.' The documentary examined the Indian leader's role during riots in the western state of Gujarat in 2002.