A day the Indian External Affairs Ministry has labeled the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a 'propaganda piece', the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has sharply defended it and said that the documentary includes a wide range of voices including the response from the people in the BJP. 

The documentary, titled 'India: The Modi Question' delves into the Gujarat riots and reveals that the UK government has done an inquiry into the Gujarat riots. The BBC has released the first of the two-part series in the UK on Tuesday while the second part will be released next Tuesday. The documentary has sparked a global spotlight and turmoil as it directly involves the accuses Narendra Modi, who, despite his polarizing regime, has become one of the paramount leaders of India. 

When riots in Gujarat unfolded in 2002 that killed over 1,000 people with more Muslim fatalities, Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of the state. The documentary consists a speech from the then British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and it says, "Narendra Modi is directly responsible" for what it termed as ethnic cleansing and a pogrom against the Muslim population.  

Responding to the documentary, the External Ministry's official spokesperson 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."  

A day after the flak from the ministry, BBC has on Friday given a statement in which it has said that the documentary was 'rigorously researched' and sought to highlight important issues. In a statement, a BBC spokesperson said, "The documentary was rigorously researched according to the highest editorial standards. A wide range of voices, witnesses and experts were approached and we have featured a range of opinions. This includes responses from people in the BJP." 

"We offered the Indian government a right to reply to the matters raised in the series. It declined to respond", the statement added. The BBC further said it was committed to highlighting important issues from around the world and the documentary series examines the tensions between India's Hindu majority and Muslim majority and explores the politics of India's PM Narendra Modi in relation to those tensions. 

Notably, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has come in defence of his Indian counterpart and said that he will not agree at all with the characterization of Narendra Modi in the documentary. On Thursday, a Pakistan- origin British MP Imran Hussain raised the topic in the British Parliament only to have a rebuttal from Modi's British counterpart Rishi Sunak. 

Hussain said, "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?".

In response, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said, "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 (of Modi) the honorable gentleman has put forward." Moreover, India's Supreme Court advocate and social activist Vineet Jindal filed a complaint against the BBC on Friday over a documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Jindal took to Twitter and wrote, "The people of the country chose PM Modi. There is a constitutional government in the country and this act of BBC News is a conspiracy to incite Muslims against Hindus not just in India but in the world. Therefore, it can be dangerous and action should be taken against it." On the other hand, several Indian people living in the UK have sent their complaints to the BBC over the characterization of Modi in the documentary. 

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