New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday (February 10) dismissed a petition filed by Hindu Sena president Vishnu Gupta seeking to ban the BBC’s operations in India. The petition was “entirely misconceived”, Justices Sanjiv Khanna and M.M. Sundresh said.
“Completely misconceived, how can this be argued also? You want us to put complete censorship…What is this?” the bench said, according to Bar and Bench.
“Let us not waste any more time. Writ plea is entirely misconceived. it has no merit. Thus, dismissed,” it continued.
The petitioner wanted the BBC banned because of its recent documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the 2002 Gujarat riots, which the Indian government had taken down from social media platforms.
The petition had also sought an investigation into the BBC for its “anti-India” reporting. It called the film “anti-Hindu propaganda”, meant to tarnish not only Modi’s image but India as a whole. “Indian’s overall growth has picked up momentum since 2014 under the Prime Ministership of Sh. Narendra Modi, is not being digested by anti India lobby, media particularly BBC. Therefore, the BBC has been biased against India and Indian Government,” the petition said, according to LiveLaw.
On the recent documentary India: The Modi Question, the petition had said:
“…[it] is result of deep conspiracy against global rise of India and its Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi. The first part of documentary is bases on he Gujarat violence in 2002 which started after 59 Hindu Karsavaks were burnt alive at Godhra Railway Station while they were returning from Ayodhya. The Central government has justifiably blocked the documentary using its emergency powers under the Information Technology Rules, 2022.”