New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said that it will next week hear the petitions challenging the ban on BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Reacting to the same, the Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju termed the PILs a waste of SC’s “precious time”.
The apex court agreed to hear the matter after journalist N Ram, Advocate Prashant Bhushan and TMC MP Mahua Moitra moved the Supreme Court challenging the Centre’s decision to block BBC’s documentary ‘India : The Modi Question’.
Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju reacted to the petitions and termed it a waste of Supreme Court’s time.
“This is how they waste the precious time of Hon’ble Supreme Court where thousands of common citizens are waiting and seeking dates for Justice,” he tweeted.
The Central government had earlier slammed the BBC documentary as “biased” and “propaganda piece”. The BJP-led government at the Centre had issued directions to block the clips from being shared.
Kanchan Gupta, an adviser to the government had said on Twitter that the directions were issued using emergency powers available to the government under IT rules.
Opposition leaders had slammed the decision to ban the documentary and urged that people should be allowed to watch the series and decide on their own instead of the government deciding for the country.
Chief Justice DY Chandrachud today said that the Supreme Court will hear the matter next Monday.
Lawyer ML Sharma has filed a petition opposing the government’s move to ban the BBC series. Lawyer Prashant Bhushan, journalist N Ram and Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra had also filed a separate petition.
Mahua Moitra, who has been quite vocal against the ruling government, on Sunday shared the link to the documentary on Twitter, saying “Govt on war footing to ensure none in India can watch a mere BBC show. Shame that the emperor & courtiers of the world’s largest democracy are so insecure (sic).”
A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala took note of the submission seeking urgent listing of their separate PILs on the issue.