Controversial BBC documentary on Modi: SC issues notice to Centre, Twitter over pleas against blocking documentary

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday issued notices to the Centre, Twitter and Google on pleas challenging the ban on the controversial documentary 'India: The Modi Question'. The apex court has also asked the Center to produce original records pertaining to the ban within three weeks. The matter has been adjourned to April for further hearing.

The notice was issued by a bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and MM Sundresh while hearing two petitions against the central government's move to ban sharing of links to the documentary. One of these was submitted jointly by Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and lawyer Prashant Bhushan. The second petition was filed by advocate ML Sharma. The petitions termed the Centre's decision to block the documentary as 'manifestly arbitrary' and 'unconstitutional'.

On January 21, the Centre directed to block YouTube videos and Twitter posts with links to the documentary. The screening of the documentary was also banned. The attempt of the Congress and the Left parties to screen the documentary despite the ban had led to conflict in many places.