NEW DELHI: India鈥檚 foreign ministry on Thursday dismissed a BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi which questioned his leadership during the 2002 Gujarat riots as 鈥減ropaganda.鈥� 

Modi was the chief minister of the western state of Gujarat when it was gripped by communal riots that left more than 1,000 people dead 鈥� most of them Muslims. The violence erupted after a train carrying Hindu pilgrims caught fire, killing 59. 

Accused of failing to stop the rioting, Modi denied the accusations and was exonerated in 2012 following an inquiry by India鈥檚 top court. Another petition questioning his exoneration was dismissed last year. 

Terming the BBC documentary a 鈥減ropaganda piece鈥� meant to push a 鈥渄iscredited narrative,鈥� foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said a 鈥渂ias,鈥� 鈥渓ack of objectivity,鈥� and 鈥渃ontinuing colonial mindset鈥� is 鈥渂latantly visible鈥� in it. 

鈥淚t makes us wonder about the purpose of this exercise and the agenda behind it, and we do not wish to dignify such efforts,鈥� he told a news conference. 

The BBC, contacted for comment, said the documentary was 鈥渞igorously researched鈥� and involved a 鈥渨ide range鈥� of voices and opinions, including responses from people in Modi鈥檚 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 

鈥淲e offered the Indian Government a right to reply to the matters raised in the series 鈥� it declined to respond,鈥� a BBC spokesperson said.