US distances from BBC documentary on Indian PM Modi

"I'm not familiar with the documentary you're referring to, however, I am very familiar with the shared values that enact the United States and India as two thriving and vibrant democracies," US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said, responding to a media query on a BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi which has sparked controversy since its release.

Addressing a press briefing on January 23, Price said 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.

Calling India's democracy a vibrant one, he said "we look to everything that ties us together, and we look to reinforce all of those elements that tie us together," as he underlined the diplomatic ties that US and India share with each other.

He also stressed the fact that the partnership that the US shares with India is exceptionally deep and that both nations share the values that are common to American democracy and to Indian democracy.

"I'm not aware of this documentary that you point to, but I will say broadly, is that there are a number of elements that undergird the global strategic partnership that we have with our Indian partners. There are close political ties, there are economic ties, there are exceptionally deep people-to-people ties between the United States and India. But one of those additional elements are the values that we share the values that are common to American democracy and to Indian democracy," he added.

Last week, UK 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.

(ANI)