Screening Of BBC Documentary On PM Modi Inside Campus Amounts To Indiscipline: Delhi University To High Court

The Delhi University has told the Delhi High Court that screening of a recent BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots inside the campus amounts to gross acts of indiscipline.

The submission has been made by the varsity in the counter affidavit filed opposing a plea moved by PhD Scholar and National Secretary of National Students’ Union of India Lokesh Chugh against his debarment for a year over his alleged involvement in the screening of the documentary.

Opposing the plea, Delhi University has said that rather than concentrating on his research, Chugh is indulging into “campus politics” and is instrumental in inciting the other students to indulge in “petty politics.” 

The varsity added that such acts are “detrimental to the varsity’s discipline” thereby causing disruption in the academic functioning of the university system.

It has further been submitted that a video footage available with the varsity shows that Chugh was actively involved in the screening with the intention to “disrupt the academic functioning of the University system.”

“The Petitioner has himself admitted that there was a protest by the students and that there was screening of the BBC Documentary within the campus of the University, which itself amounts to gross acts of indiscipline,” the response states.

The matter will be heard by Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav on Wednesday.

Chugh has challenged the memorandum passed by the office of varsity’s Registrar on March 10 debarring him from taking the examinations for a period of one year.

He has also challenged the show cause notice issued by office of the Proctor on February 16 which held that he was involved in disturbance of law and order in the university during the screening of the documentary.

The plea also seeks a direction to permit Chugh to undertake the examinations.

Earlier, the court had said that impugned order does not reflect the application of mind by the University.

Advocates Naman Joshi and Ritika Vohra, who represent Chugh, in the plea have submitted that he was neither detained nor charged with any form of incitement or violence or disturbance of peace by the police.

“At the relevant time, the Petitioner was not present at the protest site, neither had facilitated/participated in the screening in any manner,” the plea states.

It has been submitted that the memorandum is liable to be set aside for absence of finding on any specific ground of indiscipline as well as for non – application of mind.

The plea adds that Chugh had not been afforded any opportunity to explain his conduct to the Disciplinary Committee and therefore, any order or finding against him is in utter disregard of the rules of natural justice.

“It is humbly submitted that the Petitioner was not informed about the charges/findings against him by the Disciplinary Authority. It is also relevant to note that the Impugned Memorandum is silent as to how the Petitioner was involved in incident dated 27.01.2023. The Impugned Memorandum only makes a passing reference to Petitioner’s alleged involvement in screening of BBC Documentary,” it states.

It is also Chugh’s case that the authorities of the University have resorted to a “disproportionate action” against him by debarring him for one year even when he was never provided with an opportunity to put forth his case before the Disciplinary Committee or to examine the material placed before it.

Title: LOKESH CHUGH v. UNIVERSITY OF DELHI & ORS.