Screening the banned BBC document indiscipline: DU to HC

New Delhi: The Delhi University on Monday opposed in the Delhi High Court a plea by a leader of the Congress' students wing against his debarment for one year for alleged involvement in the screening of a controversial BBC documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots, saying he indulged in gross indiscipline which tarnished the image of a premier educational institution. The university, in its reply filed to the petition by Ph.D. scholar and NSUI national secretary Lokesh Chugh, said it has acted on the basis of a newspaper report on "banning the BBC documentary" and several persons, including the petitioner, assembled on the campus to screen the documentary in violation of Section 144 (issuance of prohibitory orders) of Code of Criminal Procedure imposed by police authorities.

The leader of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) claimed in his plea that he was not involved in the screening, and to his knowledge, there was no prohibition on the screening of the documentary. But the DU said that instead of concentrating on his research, the petitioner was "instrumental in inciting other students and indulging in petty politics", which was detrimental to discipline and was causing disruption in academic functioning.

"Petitioner had participated in the 'showing' of the banned BBC Documentary on 27.01.2023 at 4:00 PM in front of Gate No. 4, Faculty of Arts, University of Delhi... which this amounts to an act of indiscipline," the reply filed by Delhi University said. "It is denied that the petitioner is a sincere student. The petitioner has indulged in a gross act of indiscipline which has tarnished the image of the University, which is otherwise a premier educational institution in India," submitted the response as it prayed that the petition be "dismissed at the very outset with costs".