PM Modi BBC documentary row: What’s happened so far

The documentary 'India: The Modi Question' questions PM Modi's leadership as the state CM during the 2002 Gujarat riots when violence broke out following the burning of a train carrying Hindu pilgrims in Godhra. (PTI photo)

By Manisha Pandey: The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) released a documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. The documentary 'India: The Modi Question' questions PM Modi's leadership as the state CM during the 2002 Gujarat riots when violence broke out following the burning of a train carrying Hindu pilgrims in Godhra. The 2002 Gujarat riots had killed over 1,000 people, most of them Muslims.

The documentary has been drawing flak from some quarters since its release. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday called it “a piece of propaganda” and “colonial mindset”.

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Official spokesperson of MEA Arindam Bagchi said, “We think that this is a propaganda piece, designed to push a particular discredited narrative. The bias, lack of objectivity and 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. Frankly, we don't wish to dignify such efforts.”

On Thursday, a Pakistan-origin British MP, Imran Hussain, raised the topic in the UK parliament. However, it was shot down by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Sunak said that he “doesn't agree with the characterization" of his Indian counterpart.

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“He (PM Modi) was, in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s own words, directly responsible for this violence. Given that hundreds were brutally killed and that families across India and the world, including here in the UK, are still without justice, does the prime minister agree with his diplomats in the foreign office that Modi was directly responsible and what more does the foreign office know of his involvement in this grave act of ethnic cleansing?” MP Hussain asked.

To this, Sunak retorted, “Mr Speaker, the UK government’s position on this has been clear and long standing and hasn’t changed. Of course, we don’t tolerate persecution anywhere, but I am not sure I agree at all with the characterization the honorable gentleman has put forward.”