Raid at BBC offices condemned in India
The Indian income tax officials' raid at BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai for alleged tax evasion today sparked a war of words between ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which accused the media of "spewing anti-India venom" and the opposition which attacked the government alleging "intimidation" of the media.
The income tax survey of the BBC offices came weeks after the latter aired a two-part documentary "India: The Modi Question" on the 2002 riots in Gujarat state when Narendra Modi was its chief minister. The riots had swept the state following the burning down of a train compartment that was carrying pilgrims from Ayodhya.
Congress chief spokesman Jairam Ramesh termed the income tax survey at the BBC offices as "intimidation tactics" and alleged that the action shows Modi government is "scared" of criticism, reports our New Delhi correspondent.
Ramesh, also Congress general secretary, used a popular idiom to attack the government, saying "Vinash Kale, Vipreet Buddhi" (When doom approaches, a person's intellect works against his interest).
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge tweeted "Time and again, there has been an assault on freedom of press under the Modi government. This is done with brazen & unapologetic vengeance to strangulate remotely critical voices."
"No Democracy can survive if institutions are used to attack Opposition and Media. People will resist this," he said in another tweet.
On the other hand, BJP alleged that BBC's propaganda and Congress's agenda are similar.
Addressing the media on the income tax survey at BBC's offices, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged that BBC is the "most corrupt organization" and termed it as 'Bhrasht Bhakwaas Corporation.'
"BBC documentary was banned after it released. Now BBC has been raided by I-T department. Undeclared emergency," Congress tweeted from its official handle.
Bhatia also slammed the Congress for criticising the income tax action today, reminding the Congress that it "should remember former prime minister Indira Gandhi had banned BBC.
Congress lawmaker Shashi Tharoor claimed that the "raids by 20 tax officials on the BBC's Delhi and Mumbai offices" will be seen worldwide as "petty retaliation for the BBC documentary".
"No institution is above the law, but the raids by 20 tax officials on the @BBC's Delhi & Mumbai offices & studios are a deplorable own-goal. They will be seen worldwide as petty retaliation for the BBC documentary & as confirmation of the BJP Govt's drive to stifle press freedom," Tharoor tweeted.
The Editors Guild of India (EGI) tweeted that it "is deeply concerned about the IT 'surveys' being carried out at the offices of BBC India."
"Is distressed by the continuing trend of government agencies being used to intimidate and harass news organizations that are critical of ruling establishment," the EGI stated in another tweet.
The Press Club of India in New Delhi condemned the Income Tax "surveys" at BBC offices saying they were a "part of a series of attacks on the media by government agencies in recent times, especially against those sections of the media that the government perceives is hostile to it and critical of the ruling establishment."
"This latest instance appears to be a clear-cut case of vendetta, coming within weeks of a documentary aired by the BBC on Gujarat riots," it said in a statement.
"Such an action against an international broadcasting network will damage the reputation and image of India as the largest democracy," the Press Club said. It also urged the government to restrain its agencies "from misusing their powers in order to intimidate the media."
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