In a response to the controversial BBC series, which has been used by opposition parties such as Congress to attack PMs ModiJaishankar stated that just like the phrase “war by other means”, the documentary is “politics by other means”.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, Jaishankar said that often India’s politics do not even originate within its borders but rather come “from outside”.
“I mean come on, you think the timing is accidental! Let me tell you something: I don’t know whether the election season started in India, Delhi or not, but it definitely started in London, New York,” he added, seemingly questioning the timing of the streak which comes just one year before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
In an oblique reference to opposition parties, Jaishankar said that “current politics” are being conducted “apparently like media” by people who lack the “courage to enter the political arena”.
‘We’re not just discussing a documentary or a speech someone gave in a European city or a newspaper somewhere – we’re actually discussing politics, which is conducted ostensibly as media – there’s a sentence’ war by other means’ this is politics by another means – I mean you’re going to do hatchet work, you want to do hatchet work and you say this is just another search for the truth that we decided after 20 years to put into this moment,” he said.
Striking the “Western media bias” against Prime Minister Modi, Jaishankar said the series was an attempt to shape a very “extremist” image of India.
“I mean, do you doubt it? Look who the cheerleaders are. What’s happening is, just like I told you – this drip, drip, drip – how you shape a very extremist image of India, the government, the BJP, of the Prime Minister. I mean this has been going on for a decade,” Jaishankar said.
The minister said the motive behind spreading such stories abroad is to promote the anti-Indian agenda.
“Why don’t we see a documentary about the 1984 riots”
Jaishankar wondered if there was no bias in the release of the documentary then why there was no similar series on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi.
“Why is there a sudden surge of reports and attention and views? I mean, some of these things hadn’t happened before. A lot of things happened in Delhi in 1984, why don’t we see a documentary about that? If this was your concern, suddenly one day you hear: “I am very humanist, I have to get justice for people who have been wronged,” he said.
He said we must not be fooled by such programs and challenged the promoters to step out into the political arena.
“This is the policy put in place by people who don’t have the courage to go into the political arena. They want to have that Teflon cover saying they are an NGO, media organization etc. They are doing politics,” said Jaishankar.
The two-part BBC documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots had sparked a political furor in India. The documentary was blocked by the government on social media platforms.
(With input from ANI)
