Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri on Friday stated the UK has at all times believed within the ideology of dividing folks after a BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi was termed a ‘propaganda piece’ by the ministry of exterior affairs. The 2-part BBC documentary India: The Modi query is on the centre of an issue after the exterior affairs ministry questioned the motive and the colonial mindset behind it.
The primary a part of the collection was aired on Tuesday, not in India. The second half is to be broadcast on January 24.
Amid large condemnation of the content material of the documentary, advocate Vineet Jindal filed a criticism in opposition to BBC for the “assault on the integrity of the nation and the PM”.
‘British should not be trusted’: Former international secretary Kanwal Sibal
Former diplomat Kanwal Sibal who was the international secretary in 2002 stated the intent of the BBC documentary quoting former British international secretary Jack Straw is incendiary, “open outdated wounds to maintain kindling communal tensions in India, buttress present narrative on persecution of Muslims and tarnish Modi. Confirms British should not be trusted,” the previous diplomat wrote.
Because the documentary is seemingly primarily based on a ‘secret investigation’ performed by the then UK authorities, Kanwal Sibal stated he was made conscious of the UK mischief and he had issued a warning to the missions in Delhi to not intrude within the inner affairs.
“What secrets and techniques UK govt accessed hidden from folks on floor, opposition,civil society, journalists and so on? How can international govt conduct secret enquiry abroad? Did they ship folks undercover? How such an on the spot enquiry befell with out GOI understanding? Absurd,” the previous diplomat wrote amid the row.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has reacted to the documentary and stated he didn’t agree with the characterisation of PM Modi within the movie after a Pakistani-origin Labour Celebration MP raised a query. “The UK authorities’s place on that’s clear and long-standing, and it has not modified,” Sunak responded.
“In fact, we don’t tolerate persecution wherever, however I’m not certain that I agree in any respect with the characterisation that the hon. gentleman has put ahead,” the British prime minister stated.
Terming UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s response over it as ‘weak’, Kanwal Sibal stated Sunak didn’t solely disown the report and termed it as mere mischaracterisation. “Ought to have used event to not directly undo harm by constructive references to rising India-UK ties,” he tweeted.
BBC on Friday issued an announcement saying that the documentary was rigorously researched in response to the very best editorial requirements.
(With company inputs)