KEY POINTS:
- A documentary banned in India will be aired in Parliament House during Narendra Modi's visit.
- Mr Modi will arrive in Australia on Monday and will hold a rally in Sydney on Wednesday.
- The program linked him to a deadly riot, but he was exonerated by the Indian legal system.
A documentary banned in India for exploring the actions of its prime minister, Narendra Modi, during deadly riots two decades ago will be aired in Parliament House during his trip to Australia.
Those present will also hear from the daughter of a man who accused Mr Modi of ordering authorities not to prevent , during which over a thousand people, mostly Muslims, were killed.
Mr Modi, as a hardline Hindu nationalist, was Gujarat chief minister during a three-month outbreak of violence. He has long denied allegations and was ultimately exonerated by the Indian legal system.
He will arrive in Australia on Monday evening, and will then meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and hold a mass rally at Sydney's Olympic Park on Tuesday.
Thousands of people, mostly Muslims, were killed during the Gujarat riots in 2002. Source: AFP / STR / AFP via Getty Images
But the next evening, a group of politicians and human rights activists will gather in Parliament House for a screening of a BBC documentary that explores Mr Modi's actions during the Gujarat riots, a documentary that Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said was "designed to push a particular discredited narrative".
Mr Modi's visit comes as the Albanese government deepens ties with India, with the two parties working through details for a major free trade agreement.
Why was the BBC documentary about Narendra Modi banned in India?
In January, India: The Modi Question revealed a secret UK government report that claimed Mr Modi was "directly responsible" for enabling a climate of impunity during the riots, which it said bore "all the hallmarks of ethnic cleansing".
, Indian authorities attacked what it called the BBC's "lack of objectivity", which they said was evidence of a "continuing colonial mindset".
Greens senator David Shoebridge will be present at the screening. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
Greens senator David Shoebridge, who will attend the screening, described the documentary as "extremely well-researched" and criticised New Delhi's ban.
"We've made it very clear that Australia has and should have a strong friendship with India, but that friendship should be a friendship of truth," he said.
"We have said repeatedly that the degrading human rights situation in India, that the lack of freedom of press, needs to be an issue that is squarely raised by Australia in its involvement with the Indian government.
"So if the BBC documentary can't be shown in India, well surely it should be able to be shown here, right in the heart of democracy in Australia."
The documentary was banned in India, weeks before a raid at BBC offices that authorities say was unrelated. Source: Getty / Chandradeep Kumar
Around 40 minutes of the documentary will be screened on Wednesday evening, before a panel discussion involving Aakashi Bhatt.
Ms Bhatt is the daughter of former Indian policeman Sanjiv Bhatt, who claimed to have attended a meeting where Mr Modi told officers to allow Hindus to "vent out their anger" on Muslims during the violence.
An investigation team appointed by the Indian Supreme Court ultimately dismissed Mr Bhatt's allegations, finding he had not attended any such meeting.
In 2019, he was sentenced to life in prison over a death in custody case dating back to 1990. His supporters claim Mr Bhatt is innocent and has been framed for political reasons.
Mr Albanese, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and the Indian High Commission did not respond to requests for comment.
Asked about the BBC raid in March, Senator Wong.
"That's a matter for the Indian legal system ... Australia and India are close friends. We are comprehensive strategic partners. As you would anticipate, we will engage on human rights regularly, and we do," she said.
