India has criticised the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gujarat riots as a "propaganda piece" questioning the purpose and the agenda behind it. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Thursday said the BBC documentary has "not been screened in India" and "lacks objectivity".
"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," the MEA spokesperson said on the BBC documentary.
"Do note that this has not been screened in India...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," he added.
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BBC has recently released a new two-part documentary series titled 'India: The Modi Question' which examines the 2002 Gujarat riots, in which thousands of people were killed and millions left homeless, particularly within the Muslim community. The documentary aims to explore the role played by the government of then-chief minister Narendra Modi during the riots.
The first episode of the BBC documentary aired on Tuesday, January 17. The second part of the docu-series is scheduled to be broadcast on January 24, two days ahead of India's Republic Day.
A probe appointed by the Supreme Court has determined that there is no evidence of any misconduct by Prime Minister Modi, who held the position of Chief Minister of Gujarat during the riots.
The Special Investigation Team's report, which was released a decade following the riots, cleared Prime Minister Modi of any wrongdoing, stating that there is "no prosecutable evidence" against him.