New Delhi: The members of the Indian diaspora staged a demonstration against the BBC documentary series "India: The Modi Question" in London’s Portland Place on Sunday, reported news agency ANI.
"It has been said in the documentary that there is a discrimination against the Muslim community in India under PM Modi which is completely false. PM Modi has done so much for Muslims which no other leader has done," said a member of the Indian diaspora, quoted by ANI.
He provided examples of various government programs and schemes that benefited Muslims and stated that the propaganda against PM Modi is founded on a "total lie."
"Triple Talaq was ended for Muslim women, free LPG cylinders were given under the Ujjwala scheme, bank accounts were opened under the Jan Dhan scheme and provided with the ownership of their houses. There is no discrimination against any community under PM Modi's rule," he said.
Notably, the Indian diaspora also staged a protest in Fremont, California, against the BBC documentary series.
"Reject BBC's sinister and biased documentary," they chanted and marched through the streets of Fremont in the San Francisco area of the United States under the banner of "Indian Diaspora." People were yelling slogans such as "Biased BBC" and "racist BBC" as they marched in Fremont.
While protesting at Fremont, people carried banners which said, "BBC IS A BOGUS Broadcasting Corporation" and "Indian Diaspora rejects BBC's Sinister and Biased Documentary against Prime Minister Narendra Modi," "BBC Documentary spreading fake propaganda," "BBC is a fake news peddler."
During the 2002 riots in Gujarat, the national broadcaster of the United Kingdom, BBC, aired a two-part series that criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's time as Gujarat's Chief Minister. The show was condemned by prominent British citizens of Indian descent. Lord Rami Ranger, a prominent British citizen, stated that "BBC caused a great deal of hurt to over a billion Indians."
India condemned the controversial BBC documentary series on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 19 and referred to it as a "propaganda piece" designed to promote a myth.
Arindam Bagchi stated that this documentary show, which is based on some internal UK report, depicts the colonial mindset in an address to a weekly media briefing. The documentary caused outrage and was taken down from a few platforms.
“We think this is a propaganda piece designed to push a particular discredited narrative. The bias and the lack of objectivity and frankly continuing colonial mindset are blatantly visible,” Bagchi said in response to the question on the PM documentary series.
According to the MEA spokesperson, the documentary portrays the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the individuals who are once more propagating this narrative.
He even raised questions on “the purpose of the exercise and the agenda behind it.” “The documentary is a reflection of the agency and individuals that are peddling this narrative again. It makes us wonder about the purpose of the exercise and the agenda behind it; frankly, we do wish to dignify these efforts,” he added.