'BBC waging information war': Russia backs PM Modi over documentary

Moscow claimed that the censored BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi is another example of the BBC fighting an information war on multiple fronts, including within the British institution. At the MFA weekly press briefing in Moscow, Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, commented on the BBC documentary and claimed that the BBC is engaged in conflict even among the British institution, acting as a weapon for some groups against others.

"I would like to draw your attention to the fact that it is yet another evidence of the BBC waging an information war on different fronts - not only against Russia, but also against other global centres of power pursuing an independent policy," Zakharov stated during the weekly press briefing.

After a certain number of years, it becomes apparent that the BBC is engaged in conflict even within the British establishment, acting as a tool for some groups' interests against those of others. In response to a question from the media about how the BBC accused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the 2002 Gujarat riots in its documentary, she added that it should be handled appropriately.

The Russian MFA Spokeswoman also made fun of the British broadcaster, claiming that BBC is a dependent rather than an independent broadcasting and radio company. According to Zakharova, it frequently disregards the fundamental requirements of the journalism industry.

READ | Union Budget 2023: Know meaning of economic terms likely to be used in Parliament during budget speech

US on BBC documentary about PM Modi

The BBC documentary on Prime Minister Modi, which has been the subject of debate since its release, was mentioned by US State Department spokesperson Ned Price last week. He claimed that while he was familiar with the shared values that sustain India and the United States as two thriving democracies, he was less familiar with the documentary.

Price stated that many factors, including political, economic, and exceptionally close people-to-people ties, are many factors, including political, economic, and exceptionally close people-to-people ties, that support the US' global strategic partnership with India on Monday (local time).

Why did India ban the BBC's Modi documentary?

During the Gujarat riots of 2002, the national television network of the UK, BBC, aired a two-part series criticising PM Narendra Modi's term as Gujarat's chief minister. Following backlash, some platforms removed the documentary. In response to the BBC story, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that it was completely biased.

READ | Peshawar bomb blast: Taliban claims responsibility for Pakistan mosque suicide attack, death toll reaches 46

"We believe that this is propaganda", MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said during a weekly press conference in New Delhi. According to Bagchi, "This has no objectivity. This is biassed. Do note that this hasn’t been screened in India. We don’t want to answer more on this so that this doesn’t get much dignity.”

(With inputs from ANI)