Ayodhya: British MP Bob Blackman pillories the BBC for its ‘biased’ coverage
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Days after the historic consecration ceremony of the Ramlalla idol in Ayodhya on January 22 continues to resonate in India and abroad. Now, an influential British MP, Bob Blackman, has slammed the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for its ‘biased’ coverage of the program.
Speaking in Parliament, he said the broadcaster should provide a “decent record of what is going on across the world,” the media reported.
The BBC, Blackman said, reported that this was the site of the destruction of a mosque, forgetting the fact that it had been a temple for more than 2,000 years.
“Last week in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, the Ram Mandir was consecrated. This was of great joy to Hindus across the world as being the birthplace of Lord Ram,” he said
“Very sadly, the BBC, in their coverage reported, of course, that this was the site of the destruction of a mosque, forgetting the fact that it had been a temple for more than 2,000 years before that happened and that the Muslims had been allocated a five-acre site on which to erect a mosque adjacent to the town,” he asserted.
Blackman also asked other Members of Parliament to “allow time for a debate in government time on the impartiality of the BBC and its failure to provide a decent record of what is going on all over the world.”
Later, in a post on X, the Parliamentarian said his constituents had raised concerns surrounding the BBC’s biased reporting of the Ram Mandir.
He said that, as an avid supporter of the rights of Hindus, “this article has caused great disharmony.”
The mega-temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, was consecrated on January 22 in a grand event attended by thousands of delegates, including foreigners. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the ceremony in which Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Aditya Nath, and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat were also present, besides a large number of who’s who from all walks of life, and many foreigners.
Several states declared a holiday for schools, while government offices, other establishments, and public sector banks remained closed for half a day on the consecration day. Some states declared a ‘dry day’ and asked shops selling non-vegetarian food items to remain closed until evening.
A day after the event, the doors of the Ram Mandir were thrown open to the general public.
In the first 11 days, over 25 lakh devotees visited the temple and made donations of more than Rs. 10 crore, besides showering other gifts.
