Award-winning author and social commentator, Arundhati Roy appeared on BBC’s flagship show Newsnight on Monday to talk about her new book The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. A small clip of her video interview, posted by BBC, has now gone truly viral.
‘Is Modi worse than Trump?’ Arundhati Roy’s response on BBC’s flagship show leaves anchor flabbergasted, video is breaking internet
In the video, broadcast on BBC 2, Roy is seen sharply criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi conceding that, politely put, she was not a fan of him. To justify her criticism for Modi, the Booker prize winning author pointed out the complete breakdown of law and order under the current BJP-led government and taking over of India’s ‘elite institutions’ by him.
Referring to her book, the BBC’s Evan Davis asked, “You mention Modi, you’re not a fan.” Roy interrupted saying, “To put it politely.” Davis went on complete his question, “He (Modi) does not come out of the book well. Has he been as bad as you would have feared?”
Roy replied, “Yes, because today you’re looking at a situation where the Muslim community has been ghettoised. You’re looking at people being lynched on the streets. You’re looking at them being pushed out of economic activity they participated in earlier, you know meat shops, leather work, handicrafts, all of this under assault.
“The violence in India is terrifying. You all must have followed the rape of the little girl in Kashmir. That happened but thousands of people marched in support of the rapists including women, in support of the alleged rapists let’s say. But the point is there was an attempt to change how that trial was going to take place. So the polarisation is so frightening.” The incident was especially shameful as the Indian tricolour was abused by offenders to justify the act.
Roy’s criticism for India’s prime minister on Newsnight, a show which is incredibly popular among the British policymakers, will further affect Modi’s reputation abroad particularly when he had faced mass protests during his last visit to London in April this year.