LONDON: The British Broadcasting Company (BBC) has responded to the criticism made against its documentary series “India: The Modi Question”, giving a look at the tensions between Indian PM Narendra Modi and India’s Muslim minority, investigating claims about his role in 2002 riots that left over a thousand dead.
The response came when the Indian government has slammed the documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, dismissing it as “propaganda,” but the corporation is sticking to its guns.
The first episode of the two-part documentary “India: The Modi Question” aired on BBC Two on Jan. 17.
The episode description on the BBC website says: “Narendra Modi’s premiership has been dogged by persistent allegations about the attitude of his government towards India’s Muslim population. This series investigates the truth behind these allegations and examines Modi’s backstory to explore other questions about his politics when it comes to India’s largest religious minority.”
The documentary has not been screened in India.
On Jan. 19, Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said: “Do note that this has not been screened in India. So, I am only going to comment in the context of what I have heard about it and what my colleagues have seen. Let me just make it very clear that we think this is a propaganda piece designed to push a particular discredited narrative. The bias, the lack of objectivity, and frankly a continuing colonial mindset, is blatantly visible.”
“If anything, 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 and frankly we do not wish to dignify such efforts,” Bagchi added.
Responding to the state-level criticism by Indian government, a BBC spokesperson said: “The BBC is committed to highlighting important issues from around the world. The documentary series examines the tensions between India’s Hindu majority and Muslim minority and explores the politics of India’s PM Narendra Modi in relation to those tensions. This has been the source of considerable reporting and interest both in India and across the world in recent years.”
The spokesperson further said that the documentary was rigorously researched according to highest editorial standards. A wide range of voices, witnesses and experts were approached, and we have featured a range of opinions —this includes responses from people in the BJP. “We offered the Indian Government a right to reply to the matters raised in the series — it declined to respond,” he added.
