‘Politics by other means…poll season in London, New York’: Jaishankar on BBC documentary

In an exclusive interview with ANI, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar criticised foreign media reports on the Narendra Modi government and said the timing of the BBC documentary is “not accidental”. 

“There’s a phrase – war by other means. Think of it, this is politics by other means. Why is there suddenly a surge of reports, attention, and views? Will some of these things not happen again?” the minister said while responding to a question on the controversial film on the 2002 Gujarat riots and billionaire George Soros’ latest remarks on the BJP government and the Adani Group.

“We are not debating just a documentary or a speech that somebody gave in a European city or a newspaper edit somewhere. We are debating, actually politics, which is being conducted ostensibly as media…You do a hatchet job and say this is just a quest for truth which we decided to put out 20 years later. Do you think timing is accidental? Don’t know if election season has started in India, but for sure it has started in London and New York.”

The BBC documentary, which came a year ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, was earlier taken down from social media platforms using emergency powers.

Asked if Modi’s rise to power was not accepted by certain sections, Jaishankar said, “Do you doubt it? It’s like drip, drip, drip on a stone...How do you shape a very extremist image of India, the government, of the BJP, of the prime minister? It has been going on for a decade. Let’s not have illusions about it.” 

“You want to make a documentary, many things happened in Delhi in 1984. Why didn’t we see a documentary on that? If you say I am a humanist and must get justice for people who have been done wrong. This is politics at play by people who don't have courage to come in to political field.”