Screening BBC Documentary On PM Modi: Delhi HC Seeks Response On Student

The Delhi High Court recently issued notice to the Delhi University on a plea by the national secretary of Congress’ student wing challenging his debarment on allegations that he organized a screening of the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Lokesh Chugh of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) has been debarred from appearing in any university/college/departmental examination for a period of 1 year.

Chugh is a Ph.D. research scholar at the Department of Anthropology at Delhi University.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav heard the matter and asked the University to file a response. The case will now be heard on April 18.

On January 27, 2023, a protest was organized at the DU campus. During the protest, a BBC documentary titled “India: The Modi Question” was also screened for public viewing.

In his plea, Chugh states that at the time of the protest, he was not even present on the spot and was instead at a media interaction. He stated that “Pertinently, the Petitioner was giving a live interview at the time when the Documentary was being screened inside the Faculty of Arts (Main Campus). Thereafter, police detained a few students for screening the allegedly banned BBC documentary and subsequently charged them for disturbance of peace in the area. Notably, the Petitioner was neither detained nor charged with any form of incitement or violence or disturbance of the peace by the police.”

However, the DU issued a show cause notice to him on February 16 holding that he was involved in a disturbance of law & order in the University during screening, and subsequently, on March 10, a memorandum was issued debarring him.

Chugh’s plea argues that the University passed the order against him in violation of the principle of natural justice and that he wasn’t even informed about the charges and findings against him by the disciplinary authority.

Therefore, the plea, demands setting aside the memorandum and quashing the notice holding that Chugh was involved in a disturbance of law and order.

In the interim, he sought a stay on the memorandum.