Hashtags like 'BoycottBBC' and 'BanBBC' started trending on Indian Twitter on Wednesday after a caller to one of the British news network's radio shows made highly objectionable remarks about PM Modi's mother Heeraben Modi.
The comments were made during a radio programme called 'Big Debate' hosted on the BBC's Asian Network. The programme, which aired on Monday, was a three-hour-long special about the status and image of Sikhs in the UK.
During the show, host Pria Rai and a Sikh lawyer -- Harjap Bhangal -- were discussing a storyline from the popular British soap opera 'EastEnders' in which a Sikh character's turban is referred to as a "crown".
As the show opened up for calls from viewers, the conversation veered towards the ongoing farmers' protest in India. During the discussion, a listener identified only as Simon called in and began an angry rant.
After he was interrupted by the host, the caller used expletives and derogatory language for PM Modi's mother.
While the host immediately changed the topic and cut the call, the exchange has incensed many Indian netizens.
Calls for the boycott of BBC have been trending on Twitter since Wednesday morning, with the hashtag accruing over 1 lakh tweets at the time of publishing this report. Another hashtag #BanBBC had over 37,000 tweets.
The two top trends on Twitter India.
Many BJP leaders have also supported the demand and slammed the BBC for letting the offensive remark remain online.
During the show, host Pria Rai offered an apology for the comments made by the caller.
"Before we carry on though, we would like to apologise for some of the offensive language used by the guest on the show earlier. It's a live show and we discuss controversial issues often. There was no reason for the type of language that was used and I would like to say sorry again for any offence that was caused," she said.
Following the outrage over the comments, the BBC removed the exchange under question from the digital version of the show.
In a statement, the network said, "This programme has been edited since the broadcast."
(With inputs from agencies)