A new bbc documentary examines allegations against india’s prime minister. It revisits claims made two decades ago when he was chief minister of the western state of Gujarat during religious riots in which more than 1,000 people died, mostly Muslims.
India’s government ordered social media platforms to block the documentary, but copyright takedown notices and peer-to-peer sharing have allowed viewers to circumvent restrictions.
The Documentary
The BBC’s two-part bbc documentary on modi “India: The Modi Question” criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his role in the 2002 Gujarat riots. During the riots, Hindu mobs attacked and burned down Muslim homes and businesses in retaliation for the burning of a train that killed dozens of Hindu pilgrims. More than 1,000 people were killed in the riots, and Modi was accused of encouraging the violence. But he denied the accusations and was cleared of any involvement in 2022.
The documentary has come under fire in India, where government officials have threatened to ban it and attacked its creators. Indian tax officials have also raided the BBC’s offices in the country, highlighting dwindling freedoms in one of the world’s largest democracies. BBC News Deputy Political Editor Bobby Ghosh joins Amna Nawaz to discuss the controversy.
India’s outrage over the documentary is based on claims that it violated editorial standards and pursued an anti-Modi agenda. The BBC’s response to this criticism is that the documentary was rigorously researched and was presented objectively. The government, however, claims that the documentary is “hostile propaganda” and a product of a “continuing colonial mindset.”
Indian officials have tried to block the show on YouTube and have pressured Google’s parent company Alphabet to remove segments from its website. They claim that the documentary defames India, its judiciary and Modi. They have also filed a defamation suit against the BBC.
The lawsuit against the BBC is part of a larger campaign by the government to silence critical voices, particularly those who speak out against Modi’s record on human rights. In addition to the lawsuit, government officials have targeted journalists and activists, threatening them with legal action or even jail time.
The Narrative
A controversial BBC documentary has sparked controversy in India just days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States. The two-part documentary, called India: The Modi Question, questions the PM’s role in the 2002 Gujarat riots which left 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, dead. The documentary has been banned in India and social media sites like Twitter and YouTube have removed clips from it. The Indian government claims that the documentary is “hostile propaganda” and that it is based on discredited evidence.
The documentary focuses on Modi’s leadership during the deadly Hindu-Muslim violence that ripped through Gujarat state in 2002, when he was chief minister of the state. The riots began after a train carrying Hindu pilgrims was set on fire at Godhra railway station, killing 59 people. The documentary says that the state government encouraged the riots and told police to stand by and watch as Hindu mobs attacked Muslim neighborhoods. The BBC says it has gathered evidence from a wide range of sources and has been interviewed by experts and witnesses.
But the BBC is facing a lawsuit from an Indian organisation that accuses it of defamation. The organization is seeking compensation for the alleged defamation of Modi. The Delhi High Court has heard the petition and will issue a final verdict later this month.
Last year, the BBC aired the India: The Modi Question documentary in the UK, where it was widely shared on social media. It was viewed over 20 million times. The documentary was criticized by many Indians, and the Modi government accused it of defaming the country. The BJP also argued that it was an attempt to disrupt the PM’s US visit.
The BJP also urged the BBC to stop broadcasting in India, and it pressured social media sites like YouTube and Twitter to remove the documentary’s clips from their platforms. The BBC has said it will not be intimidated by the Indian government. The Indian media has reported that tax officials raided the BBC’s offices in New Delhi and Mumbai in February, and the financial crime investigation agency launched an inquiry into the company for allegedly violating foreign exchange rules.
The Evidence
The BBC documentary, India: The Modi Question, has sparked controversy in India with the country’s prime minister accusing the broadcaster of having an anti-government agenda. The two-part series aired in January and revisited allegations from two decades ago during Modi’s time as chief minister of the state of Gujarat. The documentary alleged that a fire at a train station killed 60 Hindu pilgrims and led to a wave of mob violence against the Muslim population of the region.
The documentary reportedly obtained access to a confidential UK government report on the incident that held Modi accountable and called the riots “ethnic cleansing”. It also included an interview with former foreign secretary Jack Straw who described Modi’s involvement as a ‘gross violation of human rights’.
Despite the fact that the BBC did not air the documentary in India, it has been widely available on YouTube and can be watched by Indians using virtual private networks. The documentary has sparked protests and even attacks by rightwing groups. In addition, the BBC has had its offices raided by India’s tax officials as part of an investigation into alleged violations of foreign exchange rules.
The scandal has raised concerns that India’s leadership is increasingly using religious sentiment to deflect attention from corruption and economic problems. It is also seen as a warning to Western powers to be careful about the kinds of close alliances and trade deals that they enter into with India. The BBC has offered the Indian government a right to reply to the allegations in the documentary but it declined.
In a statement, the BBC said it stood by the documentary which was a “rigorously researched programme made according to the highest editorial standards”. It added that it had requested YouTube to remove illegal uploads of the program and that it was following standard procedures to have such videos removed. It also claimed that the Indian government had not responded to requests for an interview. In her weekly press conference in Moscow, Russian MFA spokesperson Maria Zakharova took a jibe at the BBC, saying that it is fighting information wars on different fronts and that it is becoming an instrument of the interests of some groups against others.
The Conclusion
The two-part documentary India: The Modi Question revived allegations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role in anti-Muslim violence in Gujarat state in 2002 that left 1,000 people dead. The BBC was criticized for airing the documentary while Modi is in power. His government blocked viewing and sharing of clips on social media, citing emergency laws that it said were necessary to protect his image. A tax raid on the BBC’s Delhi offices also drew criticism.
The documentary examines Modi’s leadership as chief minister of the western state during the riots, which began after a train carrying Hindu pilgrims caught fire, killing dozens. The ensuing violence killed mostly Muslims. The BBC documentary cited a previously classified British foreign ministry report that claimed the state government under Modi encouraged Hindu mobs to attack Muslim neighborhoods and urged police not to intervene. It said Modi was “directly responsible” for the riots and a climate of impunity that allowed them to happen. Modi denied the accusations, and a Supreme Court-ordered inquiry found insufficient evidence to prosecute him.
A spokesman for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party said the documentary was a “hatchet job” that manipulated footage to misrepresent his view of events. Swapan Dasgupta, a member of the National Executive and a former Rajya Sabha (parliamentary) member, also accused the BBC of bias. He said the documentary was a “political hatchet job,” and that while he did not feel all of his statements were adequately represented in the film, he did think the broader issue of Modi’s handling of the Gujarat riots was treated fairly.
As a result of the controversy, the BBC has released a statement that says the film was “rigorously researched” and incorporated a “wide range of voices and opinions.” The film took into account the responses of BJP members to questions asked in interviews and in the final cut.
The BBC’s decision to air the documentary despite the Indian government’s objections drew international criticism and support from a number of journalists and opposition politicians in India. It also drew more attention to the documentary as people searched for ways to watch it. A telegram group that was created to share links with the documentary has more than 54,000 subscribers.
FAQs:
- Is the BBC documentary on Modi biased? The BBC documentary on Modi aims to present an objective and balanced view of the Indian leader. However, like any piece of media, it may have elements that some viewers perceive as biased, depending on their preexisting opinions. It is essential for viewers to critically analyze the content and seek alternative perspectives for a comprehensive understanding.
Does the documentary cover all aspects of Modi’s life? While the BBC documentary provides a thorough examination of Narendra Modi’s political career and rise to power, it may not cover every single aspect of his personal life or all the events during his tenure as Prime Minister. As with any documentary, time constraints and editorial decisions may result in some topics receiving more emphasis than others. Viewers interested in a more comprehensive view should explore additional sources