BBC Documentary Line: A Delhi court on Thursday set aside a Delhi University order on PhD scholar and NSUI national secretary Lokesh Chugh. The university took action for his alleged involvement in the screening on campus of a controversial BBC documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Justice Purushendra Kumar Kaurav said the action against Chugh was done in violation of the principles of natural justice and “reasons are required to be given by the administrative authority” in the order.
“The Court is unable to uphold the impugned order dated March 10, 2023. The impugned order is set aside. The admission of the petitioner is restored. Necessary consequences will follow,” the judge ordered. Attorney General R Venkataramani represented the university and opposed the plea.
The court clarified that since the order of ban is being set aside for non-adherence to the principles of natural justice, the university is free to proceed against the petitioner in accordance with law.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal appeared for the petitioner. The petitioner had moved the high court earlier this month challenging the university’s decision to ban him for a year for his alleged involvement in the screening of the documentary ‘India: The Modi Question’ related to the 2002 Gujarat riots. The door was knocked. The documentary was screened earlier this year.
DU’s registrar had issued a memorandum to Chugh in March under which he was not allowed to appear in “any university or college or departmental examination for one year”.
“The petitioner had participated in the ‘show’ of the banned BBC documentary on 27.01.2023 at 4:00 PM in front of Gate No. 4, Faculty of Arts, University of Delhi…which is an act of indiscipline.” said in the reply filed by Delhi University before the High Court.
The Center had issued directions to block several YouTube videos and Twitter posts sharing links to the BBC documentary, which was described by the Ministry of External Affairs as a “propaganda piece” that lacked objectivity and had a colonial mindset. It reflects.
(with PTI inputs)