New Delhi: The Supreme Court will today take up the requests challenging the centre’s decision to block the controversial BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and 2002 Gujarat riots.
The lead appeal was filed by Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, veteran journalist N Ram and lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan.
In their appeal to the top court, they have sought a direction to restrain the centre from curbing their right to “receive and disseminate information” on the two-part BBC series called “India: The Modi Question”
Separate pleas were filed by Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra, senior journalist N Ram and advocate Prashant Bhushan, and advocate M L Sharma seeking direction to restrain the central government from censoring the BBC documentary.
The case will be heard by a bench comprising justices Sanjiv Khanna and M M Sundresh, headed by Chief Justice of India D Y. The bench has also asked the petitioners seeking ban on the documentary to mention the case again today for urgent listing.
Petitions against the ban on the documentary sought the top court’s direction to quash “all orders directly or indirectly censoring” the the information shared on social media.
“All citizens including the press have the fundamental right to view, form an informed opinion, critique, report on, and lawfully circulate the contents of the documentary,” it said.
Appearing for the Moitra, Ram and Bhushan, advocate C U Singh said last week that the Centre has invoked emergency powers under IT rules to remove documentary links from social media.
The apex court also asked the petitioners seeking complete ban on the documentary to present the case again on Friday for urgent listing. The petitions were filed by Hindu Sena president Vishnu Gupta and a farmer Beerendra Kumar Singh seeking probe against BBC and its employees. It further alleged that BBC has been biased against India and Indian government.
