The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the BBC in response to a lawsuit against defamation filed by a Gujarat-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) regarding the documentary “India: The Modi Question.” The documentary centres on the 2002 Gujarat riots, which occurred during Prime Minister Narendra Modis period as chief minister of the state. The documentary has been condemned by the government as “propaganda” and evidence of a “colonial worldview.” The authorities asked YouTube to erase copies of the video and Twitter to delete related postings in January. It claimed that the documentary spread a false narrative and emphasised that Modi had been acquitted of any wrongdoing by the Supreme Court.The BBC, on the other hand, insisted that the video had undergone extensive research and adhered to the highest editorial standards. The NGO Justice On Trial claimed that the documentary defamed the Indian people by making false accusations and degrading the countrys, judiciarys, and Prime Ministers reputation. Senior counsel Harish Salve argued in the high court on behalf of the NGO that the entire system, including Indias constitutional and judicial networks, had been slandered. The high courts Justice Sachin Datta orally instructed that notice be issued to the respondents through all permissible channels. The cases next hearing is scheduled for September.The Supreme Court denied a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a ban on BBC in India in reaction to the documentary in February, calling it “totally misconceived” and devoid of merit. The petitioner, Beerendra Kumar Singh of the Hindu Sena, was informed by a bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and MM Sundresh that the PIL was invalid. The income tax authorities conducted a “survey” of BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai in February, causing a political uproar. Opposition parties criticised this action and linked it to the BBCs broadcast of a two-part documentary that referenced a previously undisclosed report from the UK foreign ministry, questioning Modis actions during the riots.
