Oppn condemn searches at BBC offices; Cong asks what image of India PM is projecting through ‘dictatorial’ action
Media personnel stand outside the BBC office, in New Delhi on Wednesday. Pic/ANI
As the Income Tax department continued its survey operation against BBC India for the second day, the opposition parties slammed the Centre for crushing the freedom of the media, and sending a wrong message globally and damaging India’s image as a democracy.
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When Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s past was exposed by the BBC, “he used investigation agencies as his ‘frontal organisations’ to raid an international media outlet”, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said. “This is particularly perturbing for India’s image because we are hosting the G-20 Summit and the Modi government is going gaga over it (G-20),” he added.
Arvind Kejriwal
The action, which was taken weeks after BBC aired a documentary on Modi and the 2002 Gujarat riots, affects freedom of the press, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Also Read: Income Tax action against BBC perturbing for India's image: Congress
“One day there will be no media in the country. They (BJP leaders) don’t care about people’s mandate, their only mandate is dictatorship. (They are) more than Hitler,” she said.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that suppressing the voice of the media is akin to suppressing the voice of the public.
India probing tax structure: BBC
India is looking into the tax structure, BBC said on Wednesday. “The I-T department is conducting a survey of the BBC’s tax status and affairs in India. We understand officers may wish to speak to staff members about the BBC in India,” Liliane Landor, director of the BBC World Service, said. “Questions about the BBC’s structure, activities, organisation, and operations in India are within the remit of the probe and should be answered,” Landor said in the note to the staff.
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