U.S. State Department Spokesperson Ned Price. File photo
| Photo Credit: Reuters
The United States is not familiar with the BBC documentary, but it is familiar with the shared “democratic values” that connects Washington and New Delhi, a US State Department spokesperson has said.
The controversial two-part BBC series, titled “India: The Modi Question”has claimed that it investigated certain aspects relating to the 2002 Gujarat riots when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of the State.
Addressing a press briefing here on Monday, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters that Washington shares an “exceptionally deep partnership” with New Delhi based on values that are common to both the US and Indian democracies.
When a Pakistani journalist asked Mr. Price on the BBC documentary, hee said: “I’m not familiar with the (BBC) documentary (on 2002 Gujarat riots) you’re referring to. I am very familiar with the shared values that connect the United States and India as two thriving, vibrant democracies.”
Mr. Price said there are several elements that bolster Washington’s global strategic partnership with New Delhi, which include political, economic and through people-to-people ties.
“What I will say broadly is that there are a number of elements that undergird 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,” he added.
India has condemned the BBC Panorama programme, which has not been screened in India, as a “propaganda piece” with a questionable agenda behind it.
“We think that this is a propaganda piece, designed to push a particular discredited narrative. The bias, lack of objectivity and continuing colonial mindset is blatantly visible,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said previously.
On January 21, New Delhi issued directions for blocking multiple YouTube videos and Twitter posts sharing links to the BBC documentary.
Last week, U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defended Prime Minister Modi over the BBC documentary, asserting that he “didn’t agree with the characterisation” of his Indian counterpart.
