Following protests by the Indian diaspora in the UK against a documentary on PM Modi aired by BBC, the UK government said on Thursday that Britain’s national broadcaster is “independent” in its output.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court in Delhi asked two petitioners to mention again on Friday for urgent listing of their plea seeking a complete ban on BBC in India and a probe against the broadcaster and its staffers.
The Supreme Court has asked the petitioners to mention again on Friday for urgent listing of their plea seeking a complete ban on the British Broadcasting Corporation in India for its controversial documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots.
A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud was hearing a plea filed by Vishnu Gupta, president of Hindu Sena, and Beerendra Kumar Singh, a farmer, which has also sought an investigation against BBC and its employees. Alleging that BBC has been biased against India and Indian government, the plea said the documentary on PM Narendra Modi was the result of a conspiracy against the global rise of India and its Prime Minister.
On January 30, the court had said it would hear next Monday pleas challenging the Centre’s decision to block the controversial BBC documentary.