The BBC has been forced to issue an apology and withdraw a programme after incorrectly attributing an archive interview. The Witness History episode "When Krishna Menon met Stalin" became available on May 20 on the broadcaster's World Service and on platforms such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify. However, following complaints from listeners who highlighted a huge error in the piece, the BBC issued an embarrassing apology on Wednesday, June 10.
Correction and Clarification
On the corrections and clarifications section of the BBC website, the broadcaster posted: "Witness History - When Krishna Menon met Stalin, World Service, 20 May 2026. This edition has been taken down after it was identified that the archive interview used in the programme was wrongly attributed. It had been mistakenly labelled in the archive as Krishna Menon, but the interviewee was actually K.P.S. Menon. The two Menons lived and worked in the same era and were both Indian statesmen. This meant a programme was created featuring the wrong subject meeting Stalin. We apologise for the confusion this may have caused."
Background on the Two Menons
Krishna Menon was a prominent Indian diplomat who met Joseph Stalin in the Kremlin in 1953. Before this meeting, the Soviet leader had reportedly viewed India negatively. However, as Menon and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru championed a "non-aligned" third course between the US and the Soviet Union, relations thawed, and Stalin told Indian diplomats that they were not considered enemies. Meanwhile, K.P.S. Menon was India's Ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1952 to 1961 and is famously known as the last foreigner to see Joseph Stalin alive. Menon held a private, half-hour meeting with Stalin in the Kremlin on February 17, 1953, just weeks before the Soviet leader's death.
Previous BBC Error
This latest error comes a week after the BBC was forced to issue an apology and withdraw the Tuesday, June 2, instalment of Newsnight from BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds following numerous complaints. Presenter Matt Chorley misquoted Reform UK leader Nigel Farage whilst discussing the Henry Nowak murder. The BBC confirmed the programme had been withdrawn on the corrections and clarifications webpage, stating: "In an interview about the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak, we mistakenly quoted the Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as saying people should respond to his death with a 'white, cold rage'. To be clear, Mr Farage actually said 'pure, cold rage' as had been stated earlier in the programme, and we apologise to him for this error. The programme has been removed from BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds."
