Is Twitter deleting posts on PM Modi’s BBC documentary at Centre’s request? TMC MP Derek O’Brien claims so

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O'Brien has claimed that Twitter removed his tweet on a BBC documentary that he claimed "exposed" Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stance on minorities. O'Brien called it "censorship" and shared the screenshot of an email from Twitter stating that his message was removed at the request of the Indian government for violating Indian law.

India: The Modi Question. a two-part BBC documentary, claims to have looked at the details of the riots that occurred in Gujarat in 2002 while Modi was chief minister. The opposition had a field day after the BBC documentary, which claims to feature upsetting scenes” was made public.

“Narendra Modi’s premiership has been dogged by persistent allegations about the attitude of his government towards India’s Muslim population. This series investigates the truth behind these allegations and examines Modi’s backstory to explore other questions about his politics when it comes to India’s largest religious minority,” says the description of the BBC documentary.

One of its episodes follows Modi's entry into politics, including his affiliation with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), his ascent through the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and his appointment as Gujarat's chief minister, “where his response to a series of riots in 2002 remains a source of controversy”, as per the description.

When the BBC programme was allegedly blocked, the Congress claimed that Modi was still afraid of the truth about the 2002 riots coming out and that “blocking” the documentary was “cowardly and undemocratic”.

"Narendra Modi is still scared of the truth about 2002 coming out 21 years later. The blocking of the BBC documentary that squarely blames him for the pogrom is a cowardly, undemocratic act, one that clearly shows Modi's dictatorial attitude," AICC general secretary organisation K C Venugopal said.

Earlier, PM Modi was defended on the subject by his UK counterpart Rishi Sunak. Sunak, however, was questioned by Congress secretary Ashish Dua, who asked the British PM if he had seen the BBC documentary or spoken to former British foreign secretary Jack Straw for his viewpoint that had been made public.

Meanwhile, The BBC documentary has been criticised as "propaganda" against the Indian prime minister, who is running for re-election in 2024. Many believe that the series is intended to advance a specific discredited narrative and that the colonial mindset is blatantly obvious throughout.

“This is a propaganda piece designed to push a particular discredited narrative. The bias, the lack of objectivity, and a continuing colonial mindset, is blatantly visible," the BBC quoted India's foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi as saying.