LONDON: The BBC today [Aug 25] refused to cancel the screening on television of further instalments of a film about India. The Corporation said in a formal statement it would not respond to India’s request to cancel the last two instalments and publicly apologise for the first live which have been screened already.

[An earlier report from New Delhi states,] The Indian Government will decide whether to expel the BBC correspondent in India, Mr Ronald Rob­son, after hearing from the High Commis­sioner in London about his talk with the Corporation, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said. …

Press reports ... said the Government had decided to close down the BBC office here and advise Mr Robson to leave in protest against the screening on BBC television of a series of films about India made by French director Louis Malle. India considers the films to be biased and to give a distorted view of life in the country.

[Meanwhile, as reported by our correspondent in Dacca,] An Indian flag was burnt and demonstration was staged in front of the Indian Deputy High Commission Office here today [Aug 25] in protest against the reported arrest of Kanu Sanyal — a Naxalite Communist leader — [by] the West Bengal Government.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2020