BBC Offices in India Raided for Alleged Tax Evasion Amid PM Modi Documentary Controversy, Global Media Calls it Intimidation Tactic

BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai have been raided by the Income Tax Department for alleged tax evasion. This comes shortly after the controversy over the PM Modi BBC documentary that was critical of his politics during the Gujarat riots. Union minister Anurag Thakur has doubled down on the operation which is being called a “survey” and said, “No one is above the law.”

The Income Tax Department survey for alleged tax evasion started at the BBC offices at Delhi and Mumbai Tuesday morning. The survey, which will continue through the night, comes amid controversy of the ‘India: The Modi Question’ documentary which focuses on the Gujarat riots and PM Modi’s politics at the time.

As part of the survey, the tax officials are looking at account details dating as far back as 2012 and have already checked the personal laptops and cellphones of employees. Their desktops have also been checked with the keyword “tax”. The international media is closely watching the Income Tax survey and are calling it an intimidation tactic.

New York-based independent non-profit Committee to Protect Journalists said, “Indian authorities have used tax investigations as a pretext to target critical news outlets before, and must cease harassing BBC employees immediately, in line with the values of freedom that should be espoused in the world’s largest democracy”. Beh Lih Yi, the Asia program coordinator for the organization said, “Raiding the BBC’s India offices in the wake of a documentary criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi smacks of intimidation.”

The opposition also spoke out against this move by the ruling government. Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal tweeted, “The IT raid at BBC’s offices reeks of desperation and shows that the Modi government is scared of criticism… This undemocratic and dictatorial attitude cannot go on any longer.”

Similarly, senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Saurabh Bhardwaj said, “Today the central government has abandoned even the minimum sense of shame, and has become a global laughingstock. If you find the BBC documentary wrong, then go to court. You are not adopting any legal methods, it is clear that the central government also knows that the BBC documentary is correct.”

However, Union minister Anurag Thakur doubled down on the move and said, “No one is above the law.” Additionally, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said that BBC is the most corrupt organization in the world and that BBC propaganda matches with Congress agenda.

Vineet Washington