The Indian Income Tax (IT) Department resumed conducting its “survey operation” against BBC’s India offices on Wednesday. The authorities initially reached the BBC offices on Tuesday morning and continued investigations through the night.
Accusations Against BBC
Indian IT authorities started the investigation around noon Tuesday in the BBC’s New Delhi and Mumbai offices. Two other linked locations are also being investigated by Indian authorities, who are gathering electronic and hard copies of financial information about the organisation. The officers reportedly investigated and cloned mobile phones and other electronic devices.
An update on the situation in India. pic.twitter.com/FYVFwdQWxE
— BBC News Press Team (@BBCNewsPR) February 14, 2023
The BBC said that it is cooperating with the authorities. It added that it would continue to support its journalists and staff and was determined to maintain the media houses’ usual output to serve Indian audiences.
There has been no official statement by the IT department. However, authorities claim that they are looking into issues of international taxation and transfer pricing of the BBC’s subsidiary companies. A source cited by the Times of India said, “It could be linked to [tax deduction at source], foreign taxation… There could be several issues. The raids are still ongoing.”
The IT department further alleges that it had previously sent warnings and notices to the BBC, but the media house was “defiant and non-compliant.” No further information on these allegations was disclosed.
यहां हम अडानी के मामले में JPC की मांग कर रहे हैं और वहां सरकार BBC के पीछे पड़ी हुई है।
— Congress (@INCIndia) February 14, 2023
'विनाशकाले विपरीत बुद्धि'
: @Jairam_Ramesh जी pic.twitter.com/PvQ57tMTVP
Alleged Vendetta Against Media House
Commentators speculate that the investigation is in response to the BBC’s recent two-part documentary, “India: the Modi Question,” which investigated PM Narendra Modi’s role in the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Opposition leaders and journalists are calling the survey operations an attack on press freedoms and democracy in India. For instance, the Editors Guild of India expressed its concern, referring to it as a continuing “trend” of the government to “intimidate and harass” media houses critical of the government.
The IT raid at BBC’s offices reeks of desperation and shows that the Modi government is scared of criticism.
— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) February 14, 2023
We condemn these intimidation tactics in the harshest terms. This undemocratic and dictatorial attitude cannot go on any longer.
The opposition party Indian National Congress leader KC Venugopal said the search “reeks of desperation.” He rejected the “intimidation tactic” and demanded an end to the government’s “dictatorial attitude.”
In response, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said that the BBC is the “most corrupt” organisation, recalling that the opposition’s government led by Indira Gandhi also banned the media house in 1970. He accused the British media house of “venomous reporting” against the Indian government.
Previously, other BJP officials have accused BBC of perpetrating an “anti-Modi plot.”