New Delhi [India], January 22 (ANI): Hitting back at the Oppsition leaders, who shared clips of the UK national broadcaster BBC’s controversial documentary series on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on their social media handles, the BJP on Sunday said it was an atempt to politicise the 2002 Gujarat riots. They sought to remind the Opposition leaders that PM Modi has already received a clean chit from the Supreme Court in the case, adding that his innocence in the matter also got a thumping endorsement in the people’s court.
Speaking to ANI, BJP leader Amit Malviya said, “In the last several years, the Opposition parties, especially the Congress, have tried to politicise the unfortunate Gujarat riots. However, despite all their attempts to extract political mileage out of the rots, Prime Minister Modi stands vindicated in the Supreme Court and the court of the people.”
He added, “Why should it matter what an external agency (BBC) has to say about an issue which has been settled at the highest court on our land? It (the documentary series) is a flawed and biased commentary of our country and people by a past coloniser, which has forgotten its own chequered history. They, of all people, should not be preaching us about the rule of law and human rights.”
The British Broadcasting Corporation aired a two-part documentary series, which was critical of the PM Modi‘s tenure as Gujarat chief minister, especially with reference to the 2002 post-Godhra riots. The documentary series sparked outrage and drew scorn even within the United Kingdom. It was also removed from select social media platforms in India. Multiple YouTube videos, sharing the first episode of the BBC documentary ‘India: The Modi Question’, were blocked on the direction of the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, sources said on Saturday.
Hitting out at the BJP-led Centre for blocking YouTube videos and Twitter posts sharing links to the controversial documentary series, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moita shared an archived link of the documentary, saying the “courtiers of the world’s largest democracy are insecure”.
Taking to Twitter, she said, “Government on war footing to ensure no one in India can watch a mere BBC show. Shame that the emperor and courtiers of the world’s largest democracy are so insecure.”
“Sorry, Haven’t been elected to represent the world’s largest democracy to accept censorship. Here’s the link. Watch it while you can,” she said in another tweet.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, too, posted a video clip of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee talking about ‘Rajdharma’ (administrative responsibility) in the presence of then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi, in the aftermath of the 2002 riots.
Meanwhile, in a strong response to the BBC documentary series, more than 300 eminent Indians, including retired judges, bureaucrats, and armed forces veterans signed a statement slamming the British national broadcaster for showing “unrelenting prejudice” towards India and its leader.
Earlier on Thursday, India denounced the controversial BBC series, describing it as a ‘propaganda piece’ designed to push a discredited narrative.
“We think this is a propaganda piece designed to push a particular discredited narrative. The bias and lack of objectivity and frankly continuing colonial mindset are blatantly visible,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said earlier, during a weekly media briefing. The MEA spokesperson added that the documentary is a reflection of individuals that are peddling this narrative again. (ANI)
MoS Muraleedharan terms BBC documentary a ‘Conspiracy’, calls for investigation
Kochi (Kerala) [India], January 22 (ANI): Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on Sunday said that there are “doubts” regarding the UK’s British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)’s documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the “conspiracy” should be investigated.
Speaking to reporters here, the MoS said, “This new documentary questions the stand of our Supreme Court and the court’s credibility. These old allegations have been coming up since 2002 and have been rejected by the court itself.”
“When those accusations are brought by the descendants of the old colonial rulers, we need to investigate whose ‘conspiracy’ is behind it,” he added. Muraleedharan said that some people are “offended” by India’s achievements being recognised in all fields. “India is the most progressive country in the world today, and the country’s achievements are being recognized in all fields. There are some people who are offended by that. It is also unfortunate that those people get support from our own country. Moreover, it is the central government’s responsibility to stop whoever is trying to divide the people who have been living peacefully in Gujarat for more than two decades,” he said. “We will prevent whosoever is trying to question the integrity of the country, secularism and the authority of the highest court of the country,” he added.
Muraleedharan also said that the campaign has been going on since 2003 and has been rejected by the court. “The Central Government does not need to respond to this. India should not entertain such accusations from another country. There are those who are not okay with India’s growing influence on the international level. There are political opponents who are trying their best to defame Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and there are doubts that they are also involved in this,” he said.
The MoS said that the propaganda can’t mislead the people of the country as they have faith in PM Modi. “The people of India have faith in Prime Minister. They have been enjoying the benefits of PM Modi’s good governance for the past nine years, and such propaganda cannot mislead us. Modi has come to power with the support of the people,” he said. “Freedom of Speech does not mean allowing efforts to divide the country and it should be in accordance with the constitution of this country,” he added. (ANI)
‘They could not stomach truth’: Adhir Chowdhury attacks BJP on BBC series row
Siliguri (West Bengal) [India], January 22 (ANI): Amid the controversy around the BBCs documentary series on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Sunday attacked the BJP saying that the party could not stomach the ‘truth’ documented by the UK’s national broadcaster.
“If they (BJP) do not like something, they term it anti-national and get it removed. We Congress) do not need any support from broadcasters in our fight against the BJP. We do not care what the media says about us,” Chowdhury told ANI. Calling the BJP government at the Centre fascist, Chowdhury said India needs a secular and a more tolerant government.
“The BJP is spreading religious intolerance across the country. They are depriving the citizens of their rights and freedom. However, their hatred is being opposed and challenged by Rahul Gandhi through his Bharat Jodo Yatra. The congress“>Congress has won the admiration of millions of people as he (Rahul) is not seeking votes, but is speaking on real issues,” he said.
Further, targeting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Congress MP alleged a covert understanding between PM Modi and the Trinamool Congress chief. “There is ‘Mo-Mo’, an understanding between Mamata Banerjee and Modi ji. Mamata Ji cannot do anything that will upset Modi ji,” the Congress MP said.
He added that the West Bengal CM speaks on similar lines as PM Modi. “When Modi ji asks to free India from the Congress, Mamata ji, too, says that the Congress should be removed from West Bengal. Everyone is appreciating Bharat Jodo Yatra, but not her,” he said. (ANI)
