The US has distanced itself from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)’s controversial documentary series on Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying it is “not familiar” with the documentary. However, the US said it is familiar with the shared values that connect Washington and New Delhi as two thriving and vibrant democracies.
Responding to questions raised by a Pakistani journalist, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price on late Monday told reporters that Washington shares an "exceptionally deep partnership” with New Delhi based on values that are common to both the US and Indian democracies.
When the journalist pressed further on the BBC documentary, Price said: "I'm not familiar with the (BBC) documentary (on 2002 Gujarat riots) you're referring to. I am very familiar with the shared values that connect the United States and India as two thriving, vibrant democracies."
"When we have concerns about actions that are taken in India, we've voiced those. We've had an occasion to do that. But we want first and foremost to reinforce those values that are at the heart of our relationship," Price said, with the Biden Administration, like the British Government, distancing itself from such a documentary. Price said there are several elements that bolster Washington's global strategic partnership with New Delhi, which include political, economic and through people-to-people ties.
"What I will say broadly is that there are a number of elements that undergird the global strategic partnership that we have with our Indian partners. There are close political ties. There are economic ties. There are exceptionally deep people-to-people ties between the US and India,” he added.
"But one of those additional elements are the values that we share, the values that are common to American democracy and to Indian democracy.
India, of course, is the world's largest democracy. It's a vibrant democracy. And again, we look to everything that ties us together, and we look to reinforce all of those elements that tie us together," Price told reporters at his daily news conference. The Indian government has condemned the BBC's controversial documentary, which has not been screened in India, as a "propaganda piece” with a questionable agenda behind it.
"We think that this is a propaganda piece, designed to push a particular discredited narrative. The bias, lack of objectivity and continuing colonial mindset is blatantly visible," Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said last week.
Last week, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defended Prime Minister Modi over the BBC documentary, asserting that he "did not agree with the characterisation” of his Indian counterpart. Several members of the Indian diaspora in the UK have sent complaints to the BBC over the characterisation of the Indian leader in the series.
Meanwhile, the US has reaffirmed that the pace, the scope and the character of any dialogue between India and Pakistan is a matter for the two countries, asserting that Washington has always supported talks between the two neighbours to ensure peace in South Asia.
Responding to a question raised by a Pakistani journalist on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's recent remarks seeking peace talks with India, Price said even though the United States wants to see regional stability in South Asia, its relationships with Pakistan and India "stand on their own".