Demand for Independent Investigation of BBC’s Documentary on Narendra Modi

A London politician referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “one of the most powerful people on the planet” the day before an online petition was filed in the UK calling for an independent investigation into the BBC’s programme on Modi. The petition, which referred to the documentary as a “major breach,” strongly urged an impartial probe into the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). It also censured the BBC for allegedly “breaching” its obligations as a public broadcaster. A campaign on Change.org has been launched, titled “Call for an Independent Investigation of the BBC over Modi documentary.”

Since Sunday night, a petition titled Org has been circulating, which has acquired over 2500 signatures. This petition is “strongly” critical of the BBC for its failure to adhere to the highest standards of editorial impartiality. The two-part documentary has been met with widespread condemnation and is accused of being “sinister propaganda journalism that intentionally misinforms its viewers”. We are deeply appalled by the BBC for its lack of editorial objectivity demonstrated in its documentary “India: The Modi Question”.

The petition claims that the timing of presenting an investigative report, which is more than two decades old and does not include any new information but instead merely incorporates existing claims to fit the makers’ predetermined findings, is highly suspicious.