Guwahati: The BJP-led government in Assam on Monday screened a movie inspired by the childhood of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for college students but faced flak from the Opposition Congress.

The Congress said "forcing" students to watch the movie was not a healthy sign for the education sector of the state.

The directorate of higher education on August 10 had sent letters to all college principals of Kamrup (metro) to depute 30 students from each to watch the 32-minute Chalo Jeete Hain directed by Mangesh Hadawale screened at Srimanta Sankaradeva International Auditorium, Kalakshetra, from 5.30pm.

The screening, organised by the directorate of cultural affairs, was attended by chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, cabinet ministers Himanta Biswa Sarma, Pramila Rani Brahma, Siddhartha Bhattacharya and several MLAs.

The state government on Monday had publicised the screening with a picture of Modi saying the film's storyline was similar to Modi's childhood.

The letter of the directorate of higher education said the student community would be "mostly benefited" from viewing the movie. "The students and the teachers must reach the Kalakshetra auditorium well before 5pm," the letter said.

"It is unprecedented that a government forced the students and teachers to watch a movie made on the life of a Prime Minister in the fourth year of his term. Modi has not attained the greatness that movie on him should be screened for students," said Kishor Bhattacharyya, a senior PCC spokesperson, told reporters here.

"If the government was so willing to screen a movie for the students it could have been on the life of Mahatma Gandhi or Abdul Kalam or even Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Modi is like any other politician," Bhattacharyya said. While the state government was contemplating restrictions on students from participating in agitations, "forcing students to watch a movie on Modi was unacceptable", he added.