Law minister Rijiju calls BBC’s documentary on PM Modi as a ‘malicious campaign’

Kiren Rijiju warned those 'whose only aim is to weaken India' - seen as a reference to the documentary's creators - that there is 'no hope'.

Union law minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday said the British Broadcasting Corporation's (BBC) two-part documentary on prime minister Narendra Modi - 'India: The Modi Question' - was part of a 'malicious campaign' launched both within and outside the country. "Some people consider the BBC above the Supreme Court of India," Rijiju declared.

Union law minister Kiren Rijiju (HT file)

"Minorities, or for that matter every community in India, (are) moving ahead positively. India's image cannot be disgraced by malicious campaigns launched inside or outside India. PM Narendra Modi ji's voice is the voice of 1.4 billion Indians," he tweeted.

The union minister warned those 'whose only aim is to weaken India' - seen as a reference to the documentary's creators - that there is 'no hope'. "Some people in India still haven't gotten over the colonial intoxication. They consider the BBC above the Supreme Court of India and lower the country's dignity and image to any extent to please their moral masters."

"Anyway there is no better hope from these 'tukde tukde' gang members whose only aim is to weaken the might of India."

Last week the external affairs ministry was sharply critical of the documentary; spokesperson Arindam Bagchi called it a 'propaganda piece'. Also, over 300 prominent individuals, including retired judges, bureaucrats, and armed forces veterans, signed a statement condemning the BBC documentary for displaying 'unrelenting prejudice' toward India and its leader.

In response to the criticism, the BBC stated on Friday that it is 'committed to highlighting important issues from around the world' and said that it did not receive a response (on the documentary) when it was sought earlier.

The BBC also defended the document as one that had been 'rigorously researched'.

The Indian government on Saturday ordered YouTube to remove copies the documentary - which is based on the 2002 Gujarat riots- and also directed Twitter to remove posts related to the film. The government claimed the documentary 'threatens India's sovereignty'.