A controversial documentary by Al Jazeera that explores the plight of India’s Muslim minority has been banned from airing in the country by a court order. The documentary, titled Who Lit the Fuse?, claims that India’s 172 million Muslims are living in fear of the Hindu nationalist government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The documentary also alleges that state agencies are acting against the interests of Muslims and that Modi was directly responsible for a climate of impunity that led to anti-Muslim violence in Gujarat in 2002, when he was the chief minister of the state.

The Allahabad High Court issued an interim order on Friday to defer the broadcast of the documentary, pending further consideration of a petition filed by an activist named Sudhir Kumar. Kumar argued that the documentary would disrupt social harmony and hurt India’s image abroad. The court also directed the government to ensure that the documentary was not shown until it had acquired the requisite certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which regulates films and documentaries in India.

The order has sparked outrage among free speech activists who accuse the Modi government of systematically shrinking the space for dissent and criticism. They say that documentaries do not need any prior approval from the CBFC and that the court’s pre-emptive ban was illegal and unconstitutional. They also point out that the right to free speech includes the right to express opinions critical of the government, as affirmed by the Supreme Court of India on several occasions. They say that the state can only restrict a broadcast if it might affect the security of the nation or disrupt good relations with neighbouring countries. This is not the first time that the Modi government has tried to suppress critical media coverage. Earlier this week, former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said in an interview that the government had threatened to shut down the company and raid the homes of its employees over posts critical of the government’s handling of the 2021 farmer protests.

In January, the government also prevented the broadcast of a BBC documentary that looked critically at Modi’s role in riots in Gujarat in 2002. The Al Jazeera documentary is part of an ongoing debate within India about freedom of speech and democracy. It raises important questions about the status and rights of India’s Muslim minority, which constitutes about 14% of the country’s population.

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