BJP MLA proposes resolution against BBC in Gujarat assembly

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Vipul Patel on Tuesday proposed a resolution in the Gujarat legislative assembly against British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for distorting facts in its recently released documentary on 2002 riots in Gujarat.

The resolution which alleges that BBC has a hidden motive of working against India and the Indian government has sought strict action by the Centre against those involved in the making of the documentary.

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Patel, a legislator from Sojitra and chairman of the Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union Ltd (also known as Amul Dairy), has stated that the documentary has overlooked the findings of Justice (retired) K G Shah Commission, Nanavati-Shah Commission and the Supreme Court verdict that have all given a clean chit to the then chief minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi and his ministers for the aftermath of communal riots took place following the Godhra train burning incident in February 2002.

The budget session of the assembly is underway from February 23 and will end on March 29.

The documentary – India: the Modi Question, is a two-part series examining the rising tensions between the Indian prime minister and the country’s Muslim community. It was aired in the UK in January.

The first episode of the documentary revisits allegations from 2002, when Modi was chief minister of Gujarat.

The investigating agencies have found no role of the state government or any religious organisation or any political party in the communal riots that took place in Gujarat, Patel said in his proposal.

He said it is very important for the house to assess the incidents that took place in 2002 and that they point out that Prime Minister Modi was not be blamed for them. There was no conspiracy by Gujarat government and that any allegation of the government not being active have been denied by the Supreme Court, he said.

A discussion on Patel’s proposal will be held on Friday in the Gujarat assembly.