A Gujarat-based non-governmental organization (NGO) has retracted its defamation lawsuit against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that was filed three years ago in the Delhi High Court. The NGO accused the BBC of defaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian judiciary by broadcasting the documentary ‘India: The Modi Question’ in January 2023. The organization is now seeking permission to file a new suit.
He added that the notice issued in the matter related to an application seeking permission to sue as an indigent person, and not to the defamation suit itself. The court dismissed the suit as withdrawn. Because it did not present facts objectively, it called the documentary defamatory.
The documentary cited a previously unpublished United Kingdom foreign ministry report that questioned Modi’s actions during the 2002 riots when he was the Gujarat chief minister. The lawyer representing Justice on Trial, the NGO, told a bench of Justice Tushar Rao Gedela on September 3 that he had instructions to withdraw the suit. In its suit, the NGO sought ₹ 10,000 damages for the loss of reputation and goodwill caused to the Prime Minister, the Union and the Gujarat governments, and the people of India. The suit said the governmental and judicial response to the 2002 riots was to ensure that the rule of law is restored, and all people involved, regardless of their status or position, bear the consequences.
The government dismissed it as “propaganda” and a reflection of the “colonial mindset”. “He states that he is under instructions to withdraw the…suit with liberty to file fresh suit for the same cause of action,” the court said.
Supreme Court Dismisses BBC Ban Request Amid Tax Department Survey
In February 2023, the Supreme Court of India dismissed a public interest litigation that sought to ban the BBC in the country, labeling the request as ‘completely misconceived.’ This ruling came during a period of heightened controversy over a two-part documentary aired by the BBC. Concurrently, the income tax department conducted what it referred to as a ‘survey’ of BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai. This action ignited a political controversy, with opposition parties criticizing the government’s move and suggesting a direct connection to the documentary’s release.
