Gujarat NGO withdraws defamation suit against BBC over Modi documentary

A Gujarat-based NGO has withdrawn its defamation case against the BBC over the broadcaster’s documentary “India: The Modi Question,” while seeking permission to bring a fresh suit on the same cause of action.

Justice on Trial filed the case three years ago in the Delhi High Court. It accused the BBC of defaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Indian judiciary, the Union and Gujarat governments, and the people of India by airing the documentary in January 2023. The NGO sought ₹10,000 in damages for alleged loss of reputation and goodwill.

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propaganda

The organisation’s lawyer told a bench led by Justice Tushar Rao Gedela on September 3 that he had instructions to withdraw the suit. The court recorded that the withdrawal came with liberty to file a fresh suit and dismissed the case as withdrawn. The lawyer also clarified that a notice in the matter concerned an application to sue as an indigent person, rather than the defamation claim itself.

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colonial mindset

The documentary cited a previously unpublished United Kingdom foreign ministry report that questioned Modi’s actions during the 2002 riots, when he was Gujarat’s chief minister. The Indian government called the film “propaganda” and a reflection of the “colonial mindset,” saying it promoted a “discredited narrative” and noting that the Supreme Court had cleared Modi of wrongdoing. The NGO argued that the film was defamatory because it failed to present the facts objectively.

The BBC said the documentary had been rigorously researched under its highest editorial standards. During the controversy, the government directed YouTube to remove copies and X, formerly Twitter, to delete related posts. The Supreme Court later dismissed a petition seeking a ban on the BBC in India as “completely misconceived,” while income-tax surveys of BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai triggered criticism from opposition parties.

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completely misconceived