On Monday, India’s Delhi High Court summoned BBC in a defamation complaint over its documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership during the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Siddharth Sharma, an advocate with Gujarat-based non-profit Justice on Trial, said the documentary “maliciously defamed India” in the suit.
Sharma said the court summoned the BBC on Monday for a September 23 hearing.
After the documentary and a March “breach of security” at the Indian High Commission, relations between India and Britain have worsened at a time when free trade discussions are stalled.
India called “India: the Modi question” a biased “propaganda piece” and banned social media distribution of its clips.
In February, tax inspectors investigated BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai, and in April, the financial crime bureau began investigating the broadcaster for foreign exchange breaches.
British Foreign Minister James Cleverly mentioned tax raids at the BBC’s offices with his Indian colleague in March. An Indian government source said, “All entities in India must comply fully with relevant laws” in response.
The BBC did not respond to a defamation case comment request. It “does not have an agenda” and stands behind its documentary reporting, which was not televised in India.
The documentary examined Modi’s role as Gujarat’s chief minister during the 2002 riots that killed at least 1,000 Muslims. Activists estimate the toll at double that.
Modi denied failing to stop the riots, and a Supreme Court-ordered investigation found no evidence to indict him. However, the Supreme Court denied a further investigation last year.
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