BBC documentary: Supreme Court issues notice to Centre

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Centre on petitions challenging the decision to block a BBC documentary on Gujarat riots.

A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Justice M M Sundresh issued notices to the government and others on the pleas filed by veteran journalist N Ram, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan. It also issued a notice on the plea filed by lawyer M L Sharma.

However it refused to pass any interim order and directed the Centre to place before it original record of decision taken by government.

The next hearing in the matter will be in April.

The government had ordered removal and blocking of all social media links to the controversial documentary, “India: The Modi Question” produced by BBC with alleged references to the actions of Modi as Gujarat chief minister during the 2002 riots.

The MEA termed the BBC documentary a "propaganda piece designed to push a particular discredited narrative," while referring the the Supreme Court clearing PM Modi of all charges vis-a-vis the 2022 Gujarat riots.

However opposition parties have been critical of the Centre's decision, calling it an interference in the right of freedom of speech and expression.