Rishi Sunak defends PM Modi during Parliament debate on BBC documentary
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London: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sounded like supporting Prime Minister Modi when the controversial BBC controversy against his Indian counterpart cropped up in the discussion at British Parliament on Thursday.
Rishi Sunak who maintains a warm relation with PM Modi shied away from corroborating the charges against Modi repeated by Pakistan-origin British MP Imran Hussain.
The British PM said he “doesn't agree with the characterization" of Modi in relation to the BBC documentary: ‘India: The Modi Question,’ that questioned Modi’s leadership during the deadly 2002 Gujarat riots.
Imran Hussain brought up the subject in the parliament charging that PM Narendra Modi was directly responsible for Gujarat riots.
“Given that hundreds were brutally killed and that families across India and the world, including here in the UK, are still without justice, does the prime minister (UK PM) agree with his diplomats in the foreign office that Modi was directly responsible and what more does the foreign office know of his involvement in this grave act of ethnic cleansing?” MP Imran Hussain reportedly asked in Parliament.
In his reply to the British MP, Sunak said that UK government’s long standing position in it has not changed, and added that “we don’t tolerate persecution anywhere, but I am not sure I agree at all with the characterization the honorable gentleman has put forward.”
India called the BBC documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots as a "propaganda piece", meant to force a "discredited narrative".
UK's National broadcaster BBC aired its first episode of the two-part series on 2002 Gujarat riots on Tuesday, the second part will be broadcast next week on January 24.