Delhi HC dismisses DU order barring student from writing exam over PM Modi BBC documentary screening

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has rejected a Delhi University (DU) order barring National Students' Union of India (NSUI) national secretary Lokesh Chugh from appearing in any university examination for one year. The university has barred Lokesh Chugh for allegedly organising the screening of the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As per Bar and Bench, the High Court ordered, "The court is unable to sustain the impugned order dated March 10, 2023. Impugned order is set aside. The admission of the petitioner is restored. Necessary consequences will follow".

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Chugh's admission was reaffirmed after Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav quashed the order. R Venkataramani, India's attorney general, addressed Delhi University. For Lokesh Chugh, senior lawyer Kapil Sibal appeared with advocates Naman Joshi, Ritika Vohra and Abhik Chimni.

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After a protest was held at DU on January 27 where the BBC documentary India: The Modi Question was screened for public viewing, the student leader has been banned from taking any university examination for a year. The university accused Lokesh Chugh, of being the leader of the protest and actively participating in the documentary's screening on campus.

According to DU, during a court hearing on Monday, students who screened the banned documentary on Modi without permission and organized protests despite prohibitory orders had committed "gross indiscipline." The university also explained that it took action against the students who arranged the screening of the documentary based on newspaper reports that claimed the two-part series was prohibited in India.