Documentary row: Gujarat House passes resolution against BBC

The resolution sought the state legislature to ask the Central government to take strict action against the "fabricated BBC documentary"

Written by Avinash Nair

Gandhinagar | Updated: March 11, 2023 08:27 AM IST

3 min read

BBC Documentary row, BBC documentary, bbc, Gujarat Assembly, Ahmedabad news, Gujarat, Indian Express, Current affairs

The private member's, moved by Sojitra BJP MLA Vipul Patel, was passed after almost 90 minutes of discussion.

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The Gujarat Assembly Friday “unanimously” passed a resolution demanding “strict” action against BBC for airing a “fabricated” documentary that was used as a “tool-kit” to “defame” Prime Minister Narendra Modi and destabilise India. However, Congress MLAs, who were earlier suspended for protesting against the change of ‘prasad’ at Ambaji temple, were absent in the Assembly.

The private member’s, moved by Sojitra BJP MLA Vipul Patel, was passed after BJP MLAs discussed the resolution for almost 90 minutes. “The passage of a private members resolution unanimously by all the members present is a big thing. This reflects how much anger is there among the masses regarding the BBC documentary,” Speaker Chaudhary said after the resolution was passed.

“Any media house by publishing any news about India should bear in mind that India is the largest democracy that follows the principles of Panchsheel,” he added.

The resolution sought the state legislature to ask the Central government to take strict action against the “fabricated BBC documentary”. “BBC seems to be working with a hidden agenda against the country and the government of India,” stated the resolution, tabled in the House in the absence of the Congress MLAs who were suspended only a few minutes before the Assembly took up the resolution for discussion.

BBC published a documentary about an incident that happened 20 years ago and it was nothing but an “agenda” against PM Modi whose prestige, image and leadership has been appreciated internationally, the resolution stated. It also added that the documentary overlooks the courts in India, including the Supreme Court, and the state government-appointed Nanavati Commission, which gave a clean chit to the then chief minister Modi.

Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi, BJP MLAs Manisha Vakil and Amit Thaker, Independent MLA and former BJP legislator Dhavalsinh Zala were among those who spoke in support of the resolution.

“The 2024 (Lok Sabha elections) are coming. There is no other subject against Modi saheb,” said Sanghavi. He also listed the chronology of the Godhra train carnage of 2002 and cited the comments made against the documentary by UK MP Bob Blackman and Member of House of Lords of UK Raminder Ranger. “This documentary is nothing but a tool-kit to act against India. In psychology, you might have heard of phobia. Some media suffer from Modi-phobia or India-phobia,” he added.

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Speaking in English, Vadodara city BJP MLA Vakil said the documentary has hurt the sentiments of millions of Indians. “The BBC documentary is a mere international propaganda. It is totally biased and showcases the colonial mindset that deliberately tries to misinform its viewer. It is working under the guise of media freedom,” she said.

Calling the documentary “selected truth”, Thaker said, “In the past, too, restrictions have been imposed on BBC. It has tried to defame the Hindu culture in the past when it depicted the poor in Kolkata. Restrictions were imposed in 1971, 1974 and 1984 Sikh Andolan. Steps were taken for showing the wildlife of Assam in poor light.” Thaker said the documentary comes when India has overtaken Britain’s economy under the leadership of PM Modi.

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