On Saturday (May 13), the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) courted controversy after it insinuated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) somehow did not belong to India or did not represent India after Karnataka election results were declared and Congress emerged as the clear winner.
The development came against the backdrop of Karnataka Vidhan Sabha election results, which showed the Congress party winning over the incumbent BJP by a large margin.
In a tweet (archive), the official handle of the BBC News World wrote, “India’s Congress ahead of the Modi’s BJP in Karnataka state polls.” The UK’s national broadcaster thus suggested that while the Congress party belonged to India and represented India after winning Karnataka, the Narendra Modi-led-BJP is alien to the country and did not represent the country despite winning a thumping majority nationwide twice.
The outrageous tweet by BBC was accompanied by an article, written by one Indian political correspondent Zubair Ahmed, which referred to Lord Hanuman as ‘monkey God’ and Bajrang Dal as ‘a hardline Hindu group.’
Interestingly, the same piece referred to the radical Islamist outfit, Popular Front of India (PFI), as ‘a controversial Muslim group.’ Netizens were aghast at the attempt of the UK’s national broadcaster to paint the BJP as ‘non-Indian.’
Popular Twitter user Swathi Bellam wrote, “India’s Congress? Does it mean BJP is from London? BBC miyan BJP means Bharatiya Janata Party which means Indian citizens party and it was started by Indians, unlike Congress which was founded by a Britisher AO HUME.”
India’s Congress ? Does it mean BJP is from London ? @BBC miyan
— Swathi Bellam (@BellamSwathi) May 13, 2023
BJP means bharatiya Janata Party which means Indian citizens party and it was started by Indians unlike Congress which was founded by a britisher AO HUME
Hindu rights activist Trupti Garg tweeted, “Britishers BBC is happy today for Italian party’s victory!!”
Britishers BBC is happy today for Italian parties victory!!
— Trupti Garg (@garg_trupti) May 13, 2023
“You are tweeting as if the party is from the British India Congress era.. oh wait…” another user ‘Keh Ke Peheno’ took potshots at BBC.
you are tweeting as if the party is from the British India Congress era.. oh wait..
— Keh Ke Peheno (@coolfunnytshirt) May 13, 2023
One user wrote, “Sonia’s Congress ahead of Modi’s BJP in Karnataka state polls. This should be the headline for a neutral media house. But then it’s BBC.”
Sonia's Congress ahead of Modi's BJP in Karnataka state polls.
— Ragini 🇮🇳 (@Ragini_Singhdeo) May 13, 2023
This should be the headline for a neutral media house.
But then it's BBC, pic.twitter.com/bmNxwvgu8i
“Both parties are of India, you bloody morons,” lambasted one Dr Saurabh S Sachar.
Both parties are of India you bl00dy m0r0ns
— Dr Saurabh S Sachar 🇮🇳 (@doc_sacharr) May 13, 2023
Another user remarked, “Colonialist British news agency BBC reporting Indian State election.”
Colonialist British News Agency BBC reporting Indian State election.
— Manjeeté 🇮🇳 (@NE007) May 13, 2023
Earlier in January this year, the Government of India denounced the controversial BBC documentary series on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, described as a ‘propaganda piece’ designed to push a discredited narrative.
Recently, the UK’s national broadcaster attempted to portray gangster Atiq Ahmed as a ‘Robinhood’ by laying emphasis on his meteoric rise in politics instead of his criminal background.
