Russia has accused the BBC of "waging an information war" on different fronts - not only against Moscow, but also against other global centres of power pursuing an independent policy, days after the British broadcaster released a controversial series on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova made the remarks on Friday when asked about the BBC's controversial documentary.

"Our Indian friends have already made a comment on this situation. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that it is yet another evidence of the BBC waging an information war on different fronts - not only against Russia, but also against other global centers of power pursuing an independent policy," Zakharova told reporters.

After a certain number of years, it turns out that the BBC is fighting even within the British establishment, being an instrument of the interests of some groups against others, she said.

"It should be treated accordingly. The BBC is not an independent television and radio corporation, but a dependent one, often neglecting the basic requirements of the journalism profession," she added.

The two-part BBC documentary, which claims it investigated certain aspects relating to the 2002 Gujarat riots when Prime Minister Modi was the chief minister of that state, has been trashed by the Ministry of External Affairs as a "propaganda piece" that lacked objectivity and reflected a "colonial mindset".

The BBC has defended the programme as "rigorously researched according to the highest editorial standards”.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has defended Prime Minister Modi over the BBC documentary, asserting that he "didn’t agree with the characterisation” of his Indian counterpart.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.