Not Familiar With BBC Documentary, Very Familiar With Shared Values: US - NDTV

Washington:

"I'm not acquainted with the documentary you're referring to, however, I americium precise acquainted with the shared values that enact the United States and India arsenic 2 thriving and vibrant democracies," US State
Department spokesperson Ned Price said connected Monday, responding to a media query connected a BBC documentary connected Prime Minister Narendra Modi which has sparked contention since its release.

Addressing a property briefing connected Monday (local time), Price said that determination are galore elements that bolster the US' planetary strategical concern with India which see political, economical and exceptionally heavy people-to-people ties.

Calling India's ideology a vibrant one, helium said "we look to everything that ties america together, and we look to reenforce each of those elements that necktie america together," arsenic helium underlined the diplomatic ties that US and India stock with each other.

He besides stressed the information that the concern that the US shares with India is exceptionally heavy and that some nations stock the values that are communal to American ideology and to Indian democracy.

"I'm not alert of this documentary that you constituent to, but I volition accidental broadly, is that determination are a fig of elements that undergird the planetary strategical concern that we person with our Indian partners.

There are adjacent governmental ties, determination are economical ties, and determination are exceptionally heavy people-to-people ties betwixt the United States and India. But 1 of those further elements are the values that we stock the values that are communal to American ideology and to Indian democracy," helium added.

Last week, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi and distanced himself from the BBC documentary series, saying helium "doesn't hold with the characterisation" of his Indian counterpart.

Mr Sunak made these remarks connected the arguable documentary that was raised successful the British Parliament by Pakistan-origin MP Imran Hussain.

"The UK government's presumption connected this has been wide and longstanding and hasn't changed, of course, we don't tolerate persecution wherever it appears anyplace but I americium not definite I hold astatine each with the characterisation that the honourable man has enactment guardant to," Mr Sunak said portion responding to Hussain's question connected the BBC report.

UK's nationalist broadcaster BBC aired a two-part bid attacking PM Narendra Modi's tenure arsenic Gujarat Chief Minister during the Gujarat riots of 2002. The documentary sparked outrage and was removed from prime platforms.

The Ministry of External Affairs responded to the BBC communicative by claiming that it was wholly biased.

While addressing a play presser successful New Delhi, MEA spokesperson

Arindam Bagchi said, "We deliberation this is simply a propaganda piece. This has
no objectivity. This is biased. Do enactment that this hasn't been screened successful India.

We don't privation to reply much connected this truthful that this doesn't get overmuch dignity."

He adjacent raised questions connected "the intent of the workout and the docket down it."

"The documentary is simply a reflection of the bureau and individuals that are peddling this communicative again. It makes america wonderment astir the intent of the workout and the docket down it; frankly, we bash not privation to dignify these efforts," helium added.

Referring to evident remarks made by erstwhile UK Secretary Jack Straw successful the documentary series, Mr Bagchi said "He (Jack Straw) seems to beryllium referring to immoderate interior UK report. How bash I person entree to that? It's a 20-year-old report. Why would we leap connected it now? Just due to the fact that Jack Straw says it however bash they lend it that overmuch legitimacy."

"I heard words similar enquiry and investigations. There is simply a crushed wherefore we usage the assemblage mindset. We don't usage words loosely. What enquiry they were diplomats there...investigation, are they ruling the country?" Mr Bagchi asked.

Prominent Indian-origin UK citizens condemned the series. Prominent UK national Lord Rami Ranger said the "BBC caused a large woody of wounded to implicit a cardinal Indians."

Furthermore, the US Department spokesperson besides said that the US has ever called for determination stableness successful South Asia and that its relationships with India and Pakistan basal connected their own.

He further stated that the gait and scope of dialog betwixt India and Pakistan is intelligibly a substance for the 2 countries.

'We've agelong called for determination stableness successful South Asia. Our relationships with India & Pakistan basal connected their ain and we don't spot them arsenic zero-sum. But pace, scope & quality of immoderate dialog betwixt India & Pakistan is simply a substance for the 2 countries," Price said during the briefing.

(Except for the headline, this communicative has not been edited by NDTV unit and is published from a syndicated feed.)