Delhi Court issues summon to BBC, Wikipedia in relation to documentary on PM Narendra Modi

A Delhi court today issued summons to British broadcaster BBC and Wikipedia on defamation case filed by BJP leader in relation to a documentary related to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BJP leader has sought a direction from court to restrain them from publishing a documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots, or any other material defamatory to the RSS and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).

As per reports, additional district judge Ruchika Singla has also issued summons to the US-based digital library called Internet Archive. The court has ordered the defendants to file the reply within 30 days from the date of receiving the summon.

The petitioner has alleged that the documentary is motivated by malicious intent to defame the RSS and Vishwa Hindu Parishad and its members.


The court was told that though the documentary has been banned by the government, a Wikipedia page dedicated to the series provides links to watch it and that the content is still available on Internet Archive.

Complainant Vinay Kumar Singh said he is a state executive committee member of the Jharkhand BJP and an active volunteer of the RSS and VHP. He claimed the BBC documentary defamed organisations like the RSS, VHP and the BJP.

The complainant sought a direction to the BBC and other respondents "to tender an unconditional apology" to him and the RSS and VHP "for the libellous and defamatory content published in the two volume documentary series.

"Pass a decree of damages of Rs 10 lakh in favour of the plaintiff and against the defendants," it further urged the court.

It claimed that the allegations made against the RSS and VHP were motivated by a "malicious intent to defame the organisations and its millions of members/ volunteers".

"Such unfounded allegations are not only baseless but also have the potential to damage the reputation and image of the RSS, VHP and its millions of members/ volunteers, who have committed themselves to upholding the cultural, social and national values of India," it said.

The complaint stated the release of the documentary has generated an atmosphere of terror and fear among members of various groups, and possesses the potential to trigger violence and jeopardize public order across the nation yet again.

It alleged that the BBC "strategically and purposefully disseminated unfounded rumours without verifying the authenticity of the claims".

Furthermore, the accusations made therein foster animosity between multiple faith communities, in particular Hindus and Muslims, it claimed

(Inputs from PTI)