Hours after India blocked the airing of a BBC documentary about Narendra Modi, India's Bar Association got a whiff of an international conspiracy, demanding an inquiry be conducted by the federal Home Ministry.
In a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah, the chairman of the All India Bar Association (AIBA), Adish Aggarwala, has questioned the timing of the documentary, its contents, and the way it was conceived and promoted dangerously.
"This documentary should neither be viewed as a one-off adverse media report or brushed aside as a superficial and half-baked attempt to undermine the stature of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his capacity," the bar association stated.
BBC 'Propaganda' Documentary
On Sunday, India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting blocked the airing of the controversial documentary.
The BBC material openly accused Narendra Modi of failing to stop the 2002 riots in Gujarat and even claimed he promoted the pro-Hindu rioters to attack Muslim citizens.
The claim has been vehemently rejected by the BJP, as well as by Modi himself.
More importantly, India's Supreme Court, in its verdict on the matter, said it had found no strong evidence against Modi about his alleged role in the Gujarat violence.
Last week, India's Foreign Ministry described the BBC documentary as a "propaganda piece" meant to push a "discredited narrative".
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the state chief of Gujarat when riots occurred.
It all erupted after a train carrying Hindu pilgrims caught fire, killing 59 people, which soon led to massive unrest in the state.
According to government data, more than 1,000 people died, but unofficially claims touted by the opposition allege that the death toll was in fact in excess of 2,000, most being Muslims.