Not familiar with the documentary but…: America in a BBC series on PM Modi

US State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Monday that he was not aware of the BBC’s documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but was “familiar with the shared values that make the US and India two thriving and vibrant democracies”. .

Price was responding to a media question about the documentary, which has sparked controversy since its release.
“I am not familiar with the documentary you are referring to. I am familiar with the shared values that make America and India two thriving, vibrant democracies. “When we have concerns about the actions being taken in India, we have voiced them where we have had an opportunity to do so,” he said.

Addressing a press conference, Price said the United States’ global strategic partnership with India is strengthened by many elements, including political, economic and exceptionally deep people-to-people ties, news agency ANI reported.

Calling India’s democracy a vibrant one, he said, “We look at everything that unites us. We look to strengthen all the elements that bind us together.”
“I am not aware of this documentary that you are referring to, but I will elaborate, there are many elements that underlie the global strategic partnership that we have with our Indian partners. There are close political ties, there are economic ties, there are exceptionally deep people-to-people ties between the US and India. But one of those additional elements is the values that we share, the values that American democracy and Indian democracy have in common,” he added.

When the riots broke out in Gujarat in 2002, the UK’s national broadcaster, the BBC, aired a two-part series on Prime Minister Modi’s tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat. The documentary was pulled from viewing in India and removed from several sites including YouTube. Twitter.

The Ministry of External Affairs said the series was biased without any objectivity.

“We think it’s a propaganda piece. It has no objectivity. It’s biased. Remember it’s not screened in India. We don’t want to respond to it further because it doesn’t get more dignity,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagshi said.