‘A propaganda piece’: India slams BBC documentary on PM Modi

India on Thursday called BBC’s documentary a ‘propaganda piece’, which it said is designed to push a particular discredited narrative. “We think that this is a propaganda piece, designed to push a particular discredited narrative. The bias, lack of objectivity, and continuing colonial mindset are blatantly visible,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.  

UK’s public broadcaster BBC has come up with a two-part documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The documentary investigates claims about PM Modi’s role in the 2002 riots and his policies like CAA.

Bagchi said this film or documentary is a reflection on the agency and individuals that are peddling this narrative again. “It makes us wonder about the purpose of this exercise and the agenda behind it. Frankly, we don’t wish to dignify such efforts,” he said, adding that this has not been screened in India.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he did not agree with the characterization of Prime Minister Modi in the documentary.

The documentary has evoked sharp reactions from Indian-origin legislators in the UK and people from India.

Businessman Lord Rami Ranger in a tweet said the documentary has caused a great deal of hurt to over a billion Indians. “It insults a democratically elected @PMOIndia, Indian Police, and the Indian judiciary. We condemn the riots and loss of life & also condemn your biased reporting,” he said.

Prime Minister Modi has already got a clean chit from the courts in the riots case. In June 2022, the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by Zakia Jafri challenging an SIT report on the riots case giving a clean chit to PM Modi. The court also upheld the decision of the Ahmedabad Metropolitan magistrate to accept the closure report.

Image courtesy of (Image courtesy: opindia.com)

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