New Delhi: The US is a strong advocate of a free press in the world, the US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price said days after he said that the US is not familiar with the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Ned Price on Wednesday was responding to a question at a press briefing on India banning the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tenure when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat when the 2002 riots broke out. "We support a free press in the world and highlight the importance of democratic principles like freedom of expression and religion that strengthen democracy. It is a point we make around the world and in India too," Price said.
Earlier responding to a Pakistani journalist's question on the BBC documentary, Price had said, "I'm not familiar with the (BBC) documentary (on 2002 Gujarat riots) you're referring to. I am very familiar with the shared values that connect the United States and India as two thriving, vibrant democracies."
The BBC documentary "India: The Modi Question" has been mired in controversy with the government taking all possible steps to prevent Indians from viewing it. On Wednesday the government issued a directive to YouTube and Twitter to take down the links to the documentary which have already been uploaded or posted on their platforms.
The opposition has questioned the Modi government's move to clamp down on the docuseries with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi saying that no amount of gagging the press will work since the truth comes out eventually in one way or the other. Many left-wing student organizations have arranged the screening of the controversial documentary, the JNU, Jamia and Hyderabad Central University being the most prominent of them.
On Wednesday evening students of Jamia engaged in a clash with the Delhi Police with police as they had arranged for the screening of the docuseries at the campus. Earlier on Tuesday, students from JNU also clashed with the authorities over the screening of the BBC documentary. Students resorted to watching the documentary on their phones and laptops in protest.
