BBC Row: ‘Attempts being made to create rift’, says PM Modi while addressing NCC rally

On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that futile efforts were being made to create a “rift” amongst the people of the country. Addressing a National Cadet Corps (NCC) rally in New Delhi, the prime minister urged the people to remain united for the ‘progress’ of the country.

“…to prevent India’s goal of progressing, its motto of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’, many excuses are being dug, different topics scraped to divide the children of mother India…despite lakhs of such attempts they will not succeed,” PM Modi said amid the ongoing controversy over the BBC documentary critical of his role as chief minister of Gujarat during the 2002 riots.

“The mantra of ekta is our medicine against these attempts,” PM Modi further continued. He said the country’s unity is our ‘resolution, strength, and the only path’ to take the country to new global heights.

PM Modi also said that people need to ensure, “the path to India’s success is free from such hurdles….we have to live for our country and witness its success…this is the minimum we can do”.

This comes at a time when a controversy has erupted over the airing of a BBC documentary about the 2002 Gujarat riots. Students at numerous campuses including Delhi University, TISS Mumbai, and the Opposition parties at some places sought to film the controversial documentary which the central government rejected as ‘propaganda’ and a reflection of a ‘colonial mindset’.