The BBC aired a two-part series attacking PM Modi’s tenure as CM of Gujarat during the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Washington:
“I am not familiar with the documentary you are referring to, however I am very familiar with the shared values that the United States and India enshrine as two vibrant and prosperous democracies,” US State said.
Department spokesman Ned Price said on Monday in response to a media inquiry about a BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi that has generated controversy since its release.
At a press conference on Monday (local time), Price said there are numerous elements reinforcing the US’s global strategic partnership with India, including political, economic and exceptionally deep people-to-people ties.
Calling India’s democracy a vibrant democracy, he said that “we seek everything that unites us, and we seek to strengthen all those elements that unite us,” while underlining the diplomatic ties the US and India share with each other.
He also emphasized the fact that the partnership the US shares with India runs exceptionally deep and that both nations share the values that are common to American and Indian democracy.
“I’m not aware of this documentary that you point to, but I will say it in general terms, is that there are a number of elements that underpin the global strategic partnership that we have with our Indian partners.
There are close political ties, there are economic ties, and there are exceptionally deep person-to-person ties between the United States and India. But one of those additional elements is the values that we share, the values that are common to American democracy and Indian democracy,” he added.
Last week, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi and distanced himself from the BBC documentary series, saying he “disagrees with the characterization” of his Indian counterpart.
Mr Sunak made these comments about the controversial documentary that Pakistani-born MP Imran Hussain raised in the UK Parliament.
“The UK government’s position on this has been clear and longstanding and hasn’t changed, of course we don’t tolerate persecution where it appears anywhere, but I’m not sure I agree with the characterization that has been put forward by the honorable gentleman.” a,” Sunak said while responding to Hussain’s question about the BBC report.
The UK’s national broadcaster, the BBC, aired a two-part series attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure as Gujarat’s chief minister during the 2002 Gujarat riots. The documentary sparked outrage and was removed from platforms. selected.
The Foreign Office responded to the BBC story stating that it was completely biased.
While addressing a weekly reporter in New Delhi, MEA spokesman
Arindam Bagchi said: “We believe that this is a piece of propaganda. This has
without objectivity. This is biased. Please note that this has not been screened in India.
We don’t want to answer any more about this so that this doesn’t have a lot of dignity.”
He even raised questions about “the purpose of the exercise and the agenda behind it.”
“The documentary is a reflection of the agency and the people who are selling this narrative again. It makes us wonder about the purpose of the exercise and the agenda behind it; frankly, we do not wish to dignify these efforts,” he added.
Referring to apparent comments made by former UK secretary Jack Straw in the documentary series, Bagchi said: “He (Jack Straw) appears to be referring to some internal UK report. How do I get access to that? He’s a young man from 20 years”. report. Why would we jump on it now? Just because Jack Straw says so, how do they give it so much legitimacy?
“I’ve heard words like inquiry and investigations. There’s a reason we use the colonial mentality. We don’t use words lightly. What inquiry were diplomats there…investigation, are they ruling the country?” Mr. Bagchi asked.
Prominent British citizens of Indian origin condemned the series. Prominent British citizen Lord Rami Ranger said that “the BBC did a lot of harm to more than a billion Indians.”
In addition, the US Department spokesman also said that the US has always called for regional stability in South Asia and its relations with India and Pakistan are independent.
He further stated that the pace and scope of India-Pakistan dialogue is clearly a matter of the two countries.
‘We have long called for regional stability in South Asia. Our relations with India and Pakistan are independent and we do not view them as zero sum. But the pace, scope and character of any dialogue between India and Pakistan is a matter for the two countries,” Price said during the briefing.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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