People watch BBC documentary “India: The Modi Question” screened by CITU, at Petta Junction in Kochi. file. , Photo Credit: Tulsi Kakkat
The Supreme Court senior journalist N. Ram, Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Moitra and advocate Prashant Bhushan have issued a notice to the government on a petition challenging the censoring of a BBC documentary ‘India: The Modi Question’. The court has directed the government to produce the original records of its order stopping the telecast of the documentary by the next date of hearing, which has been set in April.
According to the petition, the ministry had sent a legal request to Twitter India on January 20 to block 50 tweets under Rule 16(3) of the Information Technology Rules, 2021 and Section 69(a) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. And even includes links to documentaries.
The petition filed earlier said, “Criticism of the government or its policies or even the judgment of the Supreme Court does not amount to infringement of the sovereignty and integrity of India… All citizens, including the press, can view, form The fundamental right to view and disseminate the content of an informed opinion, critique, report and legally document as the right to freedom of speech and expression includes the right to receive and disseminate information.
The petition also cited instances of university students being allowed to watch the film, as well as instances against central universities such as Jawaharlal Nehru University issuing advisories to cancel screenings to maintain “peace and harmony” on campus.
The petitioners have urged the court to set aside and quash the order censoring the documentary directly or indirectly.