DU moves HC against order setting aside debarment of NSUI leader over screening of BBC documentary

NEW DELHI: The Delhi University (DU) approached the Delhi High Court on Friday against an order setting aside the debarring of an the NSUI leader for a year for his alleged involvement in screening on the campus a controversial BBC documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots.

A bench of chief justice Satish Chandra Sharma and justice Najmi Waziri issued notice to Lokesh Chugh, a PhD scholar and national secretary of Congress' students wing, on the appeal filed by the university against the order passed by a single judge of the high court. Chugh had approached the high court in April challenging the university's decision to debar him for a year for his alleged involvement in the screening of the documentary -- 'India: The Modi Question' -- related to the 2002 Gujarat riots.

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The documentary was screened earlier this year. The Centre had issued directions for blocking multiple YouTube videos and Twitter posts sharing links to the BBC documentary, which was described by the Ministry of External Affairs as a "propaganda piece" that lacks objectivity and reflects a colonial mindset.

The DU registrar had issued Chugh a memorandum in March under which he was not allowed to take part in "any university or college or departmental examination for one year". On April 27, the single judge set aside the decision, observing that it was taken in violation of the principle of natural justice, and "reasons are necessary to be assigned by the administrative authority" in the order.

"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," the single judge had ordered.