'Support free press': US on India banning BBC documentary on Modi

Describing India banning the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a matter of press freedom, the United States State Department said that it is high time to highlight the importance of democratic principles like freedom of expression and make it a point around the world as well as in India.

Ned Price, the US State Department spokesperson, in a regular briefing on Wednesday underlined that Washington supports free press around the world and that it is a matter of utmost importance to highlight democratic principles like freedom of expression.

Responding to a media query, Price said, "We support the importance of a free press around the world. We continue to highlight the importance of democratic principles, such as freedom of expression, freedom of religion or belief, as human rights that contribute to the strengthening of our democracies. This is a point we make in our relationships around the world. It's certainly a point we've made in India as well."

Earlier, addressing a press briefing on Monday (local time), Price stated that there are numerous elements that bolster the US' global strategic partnership with India which include political, economic and exceptionally deep people-to-people ties.

"I'm not familiar with the documentary you're referring to. I am very familiar with the shared values that enact 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," he said.

The Centre had last week directed blocking of multiple YouTube videos and Twitter posts sharing links to the documentary.

The two-part BBC documentary, which claims it investigated certain aspects relating to the 2002 Gujarat riots when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief minister of that state, has been trashed by the ministry of external affairs as a "propaganda piece" that lacked objectivity and reflected a "colonial mindset".

The directions on blocking access were understood to have been issued by the ministry of information and broadcasting on Friday using the emergency powers under the IT Rules, 2021.

Last week, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi and distanced himself from the BBC documentary series, saying he "doesn't agree with the characterisation" of his Indian counterpart.

Sunak made these remarks on the controversial documentary that was raised in the British Parliament by Pakistan-origin MP Imran Hussain.