The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a ban on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in India for airing a controversial documentary critical of the then Gujarat government’s handling of the 2002 riots in the state.

Terming the petition filed by Hindu Sena as “completely misconceived”, a division bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and M M Sundresh said the court cannot impose censorship. The bench went on to observe that the plea had no merit and the court will not waste its time on it. Besides seeking a ban on BBC, the petition had also sought a probe into the BBC for its alleged anti-India reporting.

The petitioner contended that the documentary, ‘India: The Modi Question’, falsely implicated Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was the chief minister of Gujarat in 2002, and was not only reflective of anti-Modi propaganda to tarnish his image but was also part of the BBC’s alleged anti-Hinduism propaganda to destroy the social fabric of India.

It was further alleged that the BBC has had an anti-India stance since the time India gained its independence.