Supreme Court issues notice to Centre over pleas against blocking BBC documentary on PM Modi

The Supreme Court (SC) on February 3 asked the Centre to produce the original record of its decision to take down tweets circulating links to the controversial BBC documentary 'India: The Modi Question' on the 2022 Gujarat riots.

A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and MM Sundresh gave three weeks' time to the Centre to file its response and place the matter for hearing in April.

"We are issuing notices. Counter affidavit be filed within three weeks. Rejoinder within two weeks after that," the bench said.

The court heard two petitions -- one filed jointly by MP Mahua Moitra, Journalist N Ram and advocate Prashant Bhushan and the second by Advocate ML Sharma.

On January 21, the Centre issued directions for blocking multiple YouTube videos and Twitter posts sharing links to the controversial documentary. 

However, after the ban, the two-part BCC series has been shared by various opposition leaders, including Mahua Moitra, and students; organisations and opposition parties have organised public screenings.

On January 25, Senior Congress leader AK Antony's son Anil K Antony had resigned from the party after he refused to redact his tweet in which he claimed that BBC's views on Indian institutions will undermine India's sovereignty. 

''I have resigned from my roles in Congress. Intolerant calls to retract a tweet by those fighting for free speech. I refused," he tweeted on January 25.

It is worth mentioning that Anil's view was in complete contrast to the stand of the Congress in Kerala, which announced that the documentary would be screened in different parts of the state.

In his resignation letter, Anil slammed the party leadership, saying: "By now, I have been made well aware that you, your colleagues, and the coterie around the leadership are only keen to work with a bunch of sycophants and chamchas, who would unquestionably be at your beck and call. This has become the lone criterion of merit." 

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had criticized the BBC documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots and called it a propaganda piece lacking objectivity and reflecting a colonial mindset.

Last week, the Centre had ordered the blocking of multiple YouTube videos and Twitter posts sharing links to the documentary.

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