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Synopsis

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed plea seeking direction to impose ban on BBC in India and initiate an inquiry through the National Investigating Authority into its conspiracy to break India's unity and integrity by publishing anti-India news.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and MM Sundresh said, "It is completely misconceived. You are asking a court to force a decision".

Senior Advocate Pinki Anand appearing for the petitioner submitted that the same thing happened in the "India's Daughter", the documentary on Nirbhaya Case, the High Court had dismissed the ban.

Anand asked the bench to list the matter along with the matters challenging the order restricting access of the documentary.

However, the bench dismissed the petition stating that it is completely misconceived.

The plea has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking direction to impose ban on BBC in India and to initiate an inquiry through the National Investigating Authority into its conspiracy to break India's unity and integrity by publishing anti-India news.

The plea has been filed by Hindu Sena, National President Vishnu Gupta through Advocate Barun Kumar alleging that BBC is responsible for the anti-India, anti-Indian government activities and circulating misinformation to divide the integrated society of India.

Gupta submitted, "The broadcast against India is selective and pointed to destabilize the integrity of India and divide the social integration of the country such an act in the name of free journalism cannot be permitted and therefore, such illegal, biased and divide and rule policy of the BBC requires complete banned from Indian soil."

The plea stated that the BBC was once banned in India on August 29, 1970, by the then Central Government when Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister because of the BBC's cold war broadcasting against India.

Later, in 2008 the BBC was again criticized for addressing the terrorists in the Mumbai attacks as gunmen. Additionally, the British Parliamentarian Stephen Pound had criticized the said BBC report, the plea added.

Furthermore, it read, "That recent BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi is result of deep conspiracy against global rise of India and its Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi...The Central government has justifiably blocked the documentary using its emergency powers under the Information Technology Rules, 2022." 

It had been alleged through the plea that "the BBC has been the mouthpiece of those who targeted India to dent its image and to break Indian society by indulging in cold war broadcasting".

Additionally, it had been said that "India’s overall growth has picked up momentum since 2014 under the Prime Ministership of Narendra Modi which is not digested by the anti-India lobby, media, particularly BBC. Therefore, the BBC has been biased against India and Indian Government".

The BBC is seen as anti-India and it has often been accused of showing Hinduism in poor life. In 2012 BBC referred to the holy festival as a filthy festival for which BBC had to apologize, the plea added.

It had been alleged that BBC's hostility against India and Indian Government is a by-product of British distrust of India since the days of Independence.

Case Title: Vishnu Gupta & Anr Vs. Union of India & Ors.

Statute: Indian Penal Code, 1860, Information Technology Act, 2000