Rishi Sunak defends PM Modi in UK Parliament over BBC’s Gujarat riots doc

Sunak made the remarks while responding to Pakistan-origin MP Imran Hussain during the Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) session in the House of Commons on Wednesday, news agency PTI reported.

Hussain, an Opposition Labour Party MP, highlighted the claims made in the first part of the BBC documentary ‘India: The Modi Question’ that the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) knew the “extent of Narendra Modi’s involvement” in the riots that claimed hundreds of lives.

Responding to Hussain’s question, Sunak said, “The UK government’s position on this has been clear and long-standing and hasn’t changed, of course, we don’t tolerate persecution where it appears anywhere but I am not sure I agree at all with the characterisation that the honourable gentleman has put forward to.”

Prominent Indian-origin UK citizens have condemned the series. Popular UK businessman Lord Rami Ranger said the “BBC caused a great deal of hurt to over a billion Indians”.

Rami tweeted, “@BBCNews You have caused a great deal of hurt to over a billion Indians It insults a democratically elected@PMOIndia Indian Police & the Indian judiciary. We condemn the riots and loss of life & also condemn your biased reporting.” Ministry of External Affairs also reacted to the BBC report and said that this is a completely biased copy.
https://twitter.com/RamiRanger/status/1615643090940829698
Meanwhile, India’s Ministry of Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi called the documentary a “propaganda piece” designed to push a particular “discredited narrative”.

At a weekly briefing in New Delhi, Bagchi said, “We think this is a propaganda piece. This has no objectivity. This is biased. 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.” He even raised questions on “the purpose of the exercise and the agenda behind it.”

“The documentary is a reflection of the agency and individuals that are peddling this narrative again. It makes us wonder about the purpose of the exercise and the agenda behind it; frankly, we do wish to dignify these efforts,” Bagchi added.

Calling out former UK Secretary Jack Straw’s remarks in the documentary series, Bagchi said, “He (Jack Straw) seems to be referring to some internal UK report. How do I have access to that? It’s a 20-year-old report. Why would we jump on it now? Just because Jack says it how do they lend it that much legitimacy.”

“I heard words like inquiry and investigations. There is a reason why we use the colonial mindset. We don’t use words loosely. What inquiry they were diplomats there…investigation, are they ruling the country?” Bagchi asked.

My Express

‘No contract, no coffee’: NYC mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani urges boycott of Starbucks amid nationwide strike

Ethiopia Volcano Eruption Highlights: Hayli Gubbi volcano ash plumes completely exit India, says IMD

UK suspends some intel sharing with US over boat strike concerns as France says US military operations in Caribbean violate international law