Veteran Journalist Rehan Fazal reveals how BBC India blocked RSS coverage; BJP raises questions over editorial neutrality
One example Fazal highlighted was a documentary on M.S. Golwalkar, the RSS"s second Sarsanghchalak, which he said was held up even after it had already received initial clearance.
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On Monday, August 3, veteran BBC journalist Rehan Fazal revealed how leftist media unit BBC India held back, delayed, or turned down multiple media stories relating to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), pointing to editorial decisions that kept certain reports from being published.
His comments have reignited debate around how BBC India handles coverage of the RSS, carrying particular weight given that they come from a journalist with years of firsthand experience inside the organisation's editorial process. Fazal's claims have brought renewed attention to questions of editorial neutrality, media bias, and independence, as well as to past instances of government scrutiny and restrictions affecting the RSS and parts of the media.
In conversation on the podcast Double Check with Sanket Upadhyay, Fazal recounted several instances where RSS-related stories relating to Golwalkar Guruji or others alike, though ready for publication, failed to get editorial approval.
One example he highlighted was a documentary on M.S. Golwalkar, the RSS's second Sarsanghchalak, which he said was held up even after it had already received initial clearance. Fazal suggested these were not one-off occurrences but part of a broader pattern, with RSS-related stories repeatedly stalling at the editorial stage over time.
BJP's Amit Malviya took cognizance of the video and said, "If these claims are true, they reinforce what many have long suspected: that editorial gatekeeping was driven less by journalistic judgment and more by ideological preferences."
Veteran BBC journalist Rehan Fazal has revealed how BBC India blocked, delayed or rejected content related to the RSS.
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 2, 2026
Among the instances he cites are:
• A documentary on M.S. Golwalkar that was delayed despite prior approval.
• A story on Nathuram Godse’s last day before his… pic.twitter.com/DvaEpBlm8I
"BBC’s editorial partisanship extends well beyond these examples; we have seen it reflected in its coverage of India over the years. It is significant when someone from within the organisation begins to lift the veil on how editorial decisions were made," he added.
His comments have reignited debate around how BBC India handles coverage of the RSS, carrying particular weight given that they come from a journalist with years of firsthand experience inside the organisation's editorial process. Fazal's claims have brought renewed attention to questions of editorial neutrality, media bias, and independence, as well as to past instances of government scrutiny and restrictions affecting the RSS and parts of the media.