'Over 300 Ex Judges, Bureaucrats, Veterans Slam BBC Over Documentary On PM Modi'

[Sukla Sen]

Wow!!!

It's a "documentary" film (<https://archive.org/details/narendra-modi-bbc-documentary>) with archival footages and interviews with a few witnesses of the carnage. And, of course, narration of plain facts and some comments -- including those of prominent Modi backers.

Above all, it's the disclosure of an on-the-ground investigation report -- till now classified -- conducted by the British Foreign Office in the immediate wake of the ghastly carnage.

Perhaps, for the first time, the then British Foreign Secretary is testifying on camera.

However, nothing too new. The essential points made had been made by numerous human rights bodies -- national and international, the then NHRC, and, at times, even the Supreme Court. Even the BJP Prime Minister had publicly aired his discomfort with Modi.

Last but not the least, based on all these -- the US had cancelled Modi's visa to ban his contemplated entry into that country. The ban held till he became the Prime Minister of India.

Quite interestingly, and also revealingly, on the very eve of Modi's accession to the (functionally) highest chair in India, the Chinese 'Global Times' greeted him with the following observation: "for Western critics, their attack on Modi is out of ideological concerns, because Modi's governance style and philosophy are very close to Chinese practices."

However, the "facts" have been logically strung together.

Most of all, the fact that it's the findings of an "official" investigation by the British Foreign Office adds to the credibility and authenticity of the charges repeatedly made. 

That's why the orchestrated furore.

<<This [Delusions of British Imperial Resurrection(?)] is demonstrated, it said, vividly by its completely sidelining the core fact that the Supreme Court of India has unambiguously ruled out any role of Narendra Modi in the Gujarat riots of 2002, rejecting allegations of complicity and inaction by the then state government headed by him.>>

(Excerpted from:  <https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/over-300-ex-judges-bureaucrats-veterans-slam-bbc-over-documentary-on-pm-modi-3712645>.)

That's, of course, gross distortion of facts.

On the contrary, the film very much deals with the issue and categorically observes that the final certificate issued by the SIT -- and endorsed by the Supreme Court -- paved the way for his eventual elevation to the highest post.

Not to forget, in an unprecedented move, the said SC judgement, while clearing the accused (then in the PM's chair), effectively, suo moto, indicted one of the complainants and two associates -- that too without hearing them. Created a sort of judicial history. The film only obliquely refers to that aspect. Opts to refrain from commenting on the quality of the SC judgement.

If anything, this very allegation fully exposes the true intent and nature of this "protest" -- on the lines already marked out by the Indian External Affairs Ministry.