This Is How They Waste SC's Precious Time: Rijiju On N Ram, Mahua Moitra And Others Moving Apex Court Against BBC Documentary 'Ban'

Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday (27 January) slammed the petitioners challenging Centre's alleged decision to ban controversial BBC documentary on PM Modi.

The Law Minister said that the petitioners were "wasting the precious time" of the Supreme Court, even as thousand of common citizens are "seeking dates" from the apex Court for justice.

The petitioners included journalist N Ram, advocate Prashant Bhushan and TMC MP Mahua Moitra among others.

"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," Rijiju tweeted.

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear pleas challenging the Centre's decision to block a BBC documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala took note of the submissions of lawyer M L Sharma and senior advocate C U Singh seeking urgent listing of their separate PILs on the issue.

Sharma mentioned the petition before Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud for urgent listing. CJI agreed to list the matter next Monday.

Senior advocate C U Singh mentioned a separate plea on the issue filed by veteran journalist N Ram and activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan.

Singh said that Centre invoked emergency powers under IT Rules to remove the links about the documentary from social media.

He mentioned how the tweets by Ram and Bhushan were deleted allegedly by using emergency powers. He also said that students in Ajmer were rusticated for streaming the BBC documentary. 'We will list,' the CJI said, reports Livelaw.

Lawyer Sharma filed the PIL against the Centre's decision to block the documentary, alleging it was 'malafide, arbitrary and unconstitutional'.

The Centre on 21 January had reportedly invoked emergency powers under IT Rules 2021 for blocking multiple YouTube videos and Twitter posts sharing links to the controversial BBC documentary 'India: The Modi Question'.

(With inputs from PTI)