Recently, while covering Bharatiya elections on BBCs Newsnight programme on 16thMay, well known Hinduphobe William Dalrymple went to its extremes labeling BJP prime ministerial candidate Naraendra Modi as mass murderer. British MP from Withham and Prime Minister’s UK Indian Diaspora Champion Priti Patel wrote a strong letter condemning the attacks on Modi to the head of the BBC Lord Tony Hall Director General of BBC. She mentioned that many in the British Bharatiya community, particularly those of Gujarati origin, were offended by the reporting about Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi. From the beginning of the broadcast, Modi was portrayed by the presenter, Yalda Hakim, as a “controversial figure.” Modi’s political opponents have portrayed him as being ’controversial’, so by using this reference, the BBC, who should be impartial, is giving acceptance to the political position of Modi’s opponents rather than reporting objectively. The term ‘controversial’ could be used to describe a large number of politicians, which is why many people in Britain’s Bharatiya community believe its use purely in relation to Modi in the news item was unbalanced.
