Why IT department raids in BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai?

IT department on Tuesday 14 February 2023 conducted “surveys” on BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai for “deliberate non-compliance with Transfer Pricing Rules”, and “diversion of its vast profits”, news agency ANI reported citing sources. The action by the I-T department has drawn widespread condemnation from opposition parties, journalists groups and global watchdogs even as ruling party BJP labelled the British broadcaster as the “most corrupt”.

The BBC has also been persistent with its non-compliance and a repeat offender, sources told ANI.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said that the I-T department conducts surveys from time to time and that they would release their findings after the survey is complete.

“Income Tax Dept conducts surveys from time to time where irregularities are found, & when survey is completed, they give information. When this survey of IT will be completed, we’ll give you all that information in detail,” Thakur said.

The BBC, meanwhile, said that it is fully cooperating with the Income Tax department after “survey” operations were conducted at the media corporation’s Delhi and Mumbai offices as it hoped to get the situation resolved “as soon as possible’.

The press wing of BBC News posted on Twitter conveying about the same.

The operation, part of a tax evasion investigation, comes weeks after the broadcaster released a two-part documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots named “India: The Modi Question”.

The synchronised surprise action began at 11 am with I-T officials reaching the BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai. BBC staffers were asked to keep their phones at a particular spot inside the premises, officials said.

The department is looking at documents related to the business operations of the London headquartered public broadcaster and its Indian arm, they said.

The investigation is linked to international taxation issues of BBC subsidiary companies, sources indicated.

As news spread, onlookers and media crews were seen outside the BBC office at central Delhi’s Kasturba Gandhi Marg. In Mumbai, the office is in Santa Cruz.

As part of a “survey”, the Income Tax department only covers the business premises of a company and does not raid residences and other locations of its promoters or directors.

The department is looking at documents related to the business operations of the company and those related to its Indian arm, they said.

Venomous reporting by BBC, alleges BJP

Following the “survey” by the I-T department, the BJP hit out at the BBC, accusing it of “running agenda under the garb of journalism” and taking an anti-India stance.

“Any agency or company operating out of India will have to abide by the laws and regulations of the country. If you are following the law, then you should not be scared. Let the agencies do their job,” BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia told a press conference.

“It won’t be wrong to say that BBC has become the most corrupt and ridiculous organisation in the world. And the worst things is BBC’s propaganda and the Congress’ agenda match with each other,” he said.

The BJP also accused the BBC of unleashing “venomous” reporting against India, and alleged that its propaganda and the Congress’ agenda go together.

Bhatia rejected the Congress’ criticism and said the government agency should be allowed to do its job. He termed the BBC the “most corrupt” organisation in the world and said the Congress should remember that then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had also banned the broadcaster.

Opposition parties condemn govt action

A host of opposition leaders, including those from the Congress, the Left parties, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Shiv Sena, spoke on the issue.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “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 a tweet.

The CPIM hit out at the Centre over IT “raids” and questioned if India remains the “mother of democracy”.

Editors Guild, global watchdog express concern

The Editors Guild of India on Tuesday said it was “deeply concerned” about the I-T “surveys” and termed it as a continuation of a “trend” of using government agencies to “intimidate and harass” media outlets critical of the ruling establishment.

“The survey by the I-T department is in continuation of a trend of using government agencies to intimidate and harass press organisations that are critical of government policies or the ruling establishment,” the Guild said in a statement.

Global media watchdogs and human rights bodies also criticised the I-T “survey” operations at the BBC’s offices in New Delhi and Mumbai, saying the action “smacks of intimidation” and was a “blatant affront” to freedom of expression.

The New York-based independent non-profit Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged the Indian government to stop harassing journalists.

Its Asia programme coordinator Beh Lih Yi said: “Raiding the BBC’s India offices in the wake of a documentary criticising PM Modi smacks of intimidation”.

“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,” CPJ said in a statement.

“The searches by the tax authorities of the offices of BBCWorld in Inde, 3 weeks after the censorship of his documentary on narendramodi, constitute an outrageous reprisal. RSF denounces these attempts to silence any criticism of the Indian government,” Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) tweeted.

Amnesty International tweeted: “These raids are a blatant affront to freedom of expression.” “The Indian authorities are clearly trying to harass and intimidate the BBC over its critical coverage of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The overbroad powers of the Income Tax Department are repeatedly being weaponised to silence dissent. Last year, tax officials also raided the offices of a number of NGOs, including Oxfam India. These intimidatory acts, which undermine the right to freedom of expression in India, must end now,” it said in a statement.

The South Asia Solidarity Group, a human rights organisation based in the UK, dubbed it a “blatantly vindictive move”.

“In the wake of the government’s ban on sharing extracts or screening the documentary, this raid makes it clear that the Modi government will attack all those who criticise Narendra Modi, the BJP and those close to them,” said Mukti Shah, spokesperson for the group.

(Accept heading this story is not edited by ismatimes staff, inputs from newsnine and agencies)