Controversial documentary India’s Daughter was banned by the NDA government to respect “the victim and the judicial processes”, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an exclusive interview to the Time magazine.

He added that “it is not a question of freedom of speech, it is more a legal question.”

If you look at the issue related to the telecast of the documentary that you referred, it is not a question of freedom of speech, it is more a legal question. It has two or three aspects.

One aspect is that the identity of the rape victim should not be revealed which would have happened if this interview was allowed to be telecast.

Two, the case is still sub judice and the telecast which features the interview of the person who is alleged to have committed the crime could have impacted the judicial process.

Three, it is also our responsibility to ensure protection of the victim. If we had allowed such a thing to happen, in effect, we would have violated the dignity of the victim.

So I do not think it is a question of freedom of speech, it is more a question of law and respecting the victim and the judicial processes in this particular case. In so far as freedom of speech is concerned, as I mentioned earlier, there is absolutely no issue. It is something that we greatly respect as an important aspect of our democratic values.
- PM Narendra Modi in an interview to Time magazine.

Time magazine scooped an exclusive interview with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their latest edition.