BBC documentary on PM Modi is ‘politics by another means,’ says S Jaishankar

New Delhi, February 21: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated that BBC documentary is conducted by ‘Actual politics’ and by the people who do not have the "courage to come into political field.  

While addressing an interview, Jaishankar stated that "Sometime politics of India doesn't even originate in its borders, it comes from outside."

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"We are not debating just a documentary or a speech that somebody gave in a European city or a newspaper edits somewhere -- we are debating, actually politics, which is being conducted ostensibly as media -- there is a phrase 'war by other means' this is politics by another means -- I mean you will do a hatchet job, you want to do a hatchet job and say this is just another quest for truth which we decided after 20 years to put at this time," he said.

Notably, BBC documentary titled:  'India: The Modi Question," features the Gujarat riots of 2002. 

The film caused a controversy for alluding to PM Modi's role in the riots whereas disregarding the Supreme Court clean chit to Narendra Modi.

Coming back to BBC row, Jaishankar further stated that,   "I mean, do you doubt it? Look who the cheerleaders are. What is happening is, just like I told you -- this drip, drip, drip -- how do you shape a very extremist image of India, of the government, of the BJP, of the Prime Minister.   

The EAM said that the motive behind planting such stories abroad is to further the anti-India agenda.

"Let's not have illusions about it..., there is an echo chamber, it will be picked outside and then they will say it is being said outside, it must be true. Then you will say it inside. There is a ding-dong going on, look this is a globalized world, people take that politics abroad," said the EAM.

He further asked, "Why suddenly there is a surge of reports and attention and views? I mean, were some of these things not happening earlier. Many things happened in Delhi in 1984, why don't we see a documentary on that? If that was your concern, you suddenly feel one day, "I am very humanistic, I must get justice for people who have been wronged," said Jaishankar.   

I do. I know there are certain people who believe that their view supersedes elections. Look, I like you, you win election--great democracy. I don't like you win election. What are you -- 'electoral autocracy’? That's reserved for people whom you don't like to win elections. This is politics," said Jaishankar. 

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