On 17 January 2023 BBC released a documentary questioning current prime minister of India, Narendra Modi’s role in 2002 riots of Gujarat. As Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat at that time. After the release, the government of India banned this documentary in India and also the tweets which was sharing the information related to it. Supreme court has already given the clean chit to Narendra Modi on this matter.
Issues raised by BBC documentary
As government banned the documentary I couldn’t watch it and watching it from third party sources would be unethical. But the claims were made that it is a propaganda against the India, in the recent news claims were made that the government used emergency powers to banned the documentary. Some are also relating it to freedom of expression and some politics leaders are saying this government is unable to take the criticism that why they banned the documentary.
Even after being banned a clip is getting viral on the social media where in an interview he has been questioned about what he could be done differently to stop the riots. He can be seen answering the police did very good work but he could have handled media much better.
UK’s prime minister also been questioned about this by MP Imran Hussain “He was, in the foreign and commonwealth office’s own words, directly responsible for this violence. Given that hundreds where brutally killed and that families across India and the worl, 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?”
To this question Rishi sunak answered “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 the honorable gentleman has put forward.”
Indian foreign ministry already said that there is an agenda behind it.
Whatever it is but no doubt documentary raises some question around the Gujarat riots even after the clean from Supreme court. But the ban on this documentary also raises some question>
1. As shared in the screen shot of social activist and lawyer Prashant bhusan’s tweet above he raises the question “why is Modi govt so petrified by people seeing the documentary. Why don’t they respond to the facts stated there in a civilized manner.?”
2. Why Modi govt has to use the emergency power to banned the documentary?
3. Is this government to sensitive to take the criticism?
4. And a question which is been raised from the viral clips on social media, “why did Modi said in the interview he could have done more in the handling the media?”