UK House of Lords member writes to BBC urging them not to air second part of documentary on Modi
Says if facts in documentary were true, Muslims would have left India by now
London: Dolar Popat, the Conservative Life Peer in the House of Lords of British Parliament has written to the Director General of BBC, Tim Davie urging him to not air the second part of the documentary on PM Modi and the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Popat, in his letter, has said that he was shocked by the BBC Documentary adding that the BBC plays an important role in educating the UK population and is a trusted source of Information around the world.
“The documentary was heavily one-sided and failed to reflect the series of events that have unfolded since the riots. Prime Minister Modi was cleared of his involvement by the Indian judiciary and parliament, which led helped to lead to his re-election as a trusted leader.” He wrote in the letter.
“This false representation has old wounds by creating hatred between British Hindus and Muslims by attempting to paint India as an intolerant nation where Muslims are persecuted. If this had been the case, the Muslims would have left India by now. On the contrary, the Muslim population of India is now more than Pakistan’s and many Muslims from Bangladesh are moving to India because of the progress it is making.” He further added.
“Please consider stopping the screening of the second part to avoid exasperating the already tense situation between British Hindus and Muslims in many of our cities and allow the BBC time to check the acts and ensuring the reporting is accurate.” The letter stated.
Lord Dolar Popat, Conservative Life Peer in House of Lords, writes to BBC's Tim Davie to not air the second part of the documentary on PM Modi and the 2002 Gujarat riots to avoid the "already tense situation between British Hindus and Muslims" in many cities across the UK. pic.twitter.com/sudoDr1W6Y
— Geeta Mohan گیتا موہن गीता मोहन (@Geeta_Mohan) January 24, 2023
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
