The searches of the BBC's offices in Delhi and Mumbai by the Income Tax Department of the Government of India have triggered a storm of condemnation and criticism across the country. Some opponents say, it is counterproductive in destruction. Someone said that when Gautam Adani went to SEBI, he was given a warm welcome and the fate of BBC was discovered. The Editors' Guild also condemned the discovery and expressed concern in a statement saying, "What has happened to the BBC is a continuation of the government's old practices." Time and again the government is trying to suppress the voice of newspapers and media by intimidation.
Within a few days of the Gujarat riots documentary being made in two phases, a sudden search operation was conducted on Tuesday morning. NDTV quoted a source as saying that the Income Tax officials have taken away mobile phones and laptops of some journalists.
The criticism began when news of two BBC offices being raided by Income Tax officials was published. In this context, the Income Tax officials said, this is not a search at all. This is a kind of 'survey' or survey. The BBC was not following the law in some income tax matters despite being pointed out repeatedly. It should not be confused with the search operation. However, criticizing the opposition, the BJP said, "BBC is the most corrupt organization in the world." Historically they are a black organization against India.
Their campaign is completely in line with that of the Congress. According to BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia, if you want to do business in this country, you have to follow the laws of the country. If they follow the law then there is nothing to fear.
Meanwhile, the BBC News press team said in a tweet about the investigation in the afternoon: 'There are Income Tax officials still in the BBC's Delhi and Mumbai offices. We are fully cooperating with them. We hope to settle the matter at the earliest.
In January last year, the BBC aired the documentary 'India: The Modi Quest' on the Gujarat riots in two episodes. Although it was not aired in India, the Indian government banned the documentary. Social media has also been instructed in this regard. The main point of the documentary was the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi's involvement in the Gujarat riots. He made political use of that riot to become the chief minister. That riot also helped him become the Prime Minister.
The time spent searching or 'surveying' the BBC office is significant. The banning of that documentary created a storm of protest in the budget session of the Parliament. Then the government did not say anything. The first phase of the budget session of Parliament ended on Monday. The second phase of the session will start after a month. The search or survey and interrogation started from Tuesday morning.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh described the government's role as "reverse intelligence in view of the destruction". He said, “We are here demanding the formation of a joint parliamentary committee to investigate Adani, but the government is behind the BBC.” Congress leader KC Benugopal said, “This shows that How desperate the government is." This also shows how scared the Modi government is." He tweeted, "This undemocratic and autocratic attitude will not last long."
Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav also condemned the search. He tweeted, "When the government and administration become a symbol of fear and oppression instead of fearlessness, it should be understood that the end days are near." Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti wrote in a tweet, "This discovery The reason is clear.
The Government of India is pouncing on those who are outspoken and truthful. Be it leaders, be it media, be it workers of mass movement, thunder is ready. CPM MP Britus tweeted, "Wasn't this expected? What will British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak say now?" According to CPI Rajya Sabha member Vinay Biswam, "A cowardly government is on a killing spree to suppress the voice of truth." .The whole world is a witness. When Modi presides over the G-20, he will question the freedom of the press. Can he tell the real truth?'
On behalf of the Editors Guild of India, president Seema Mustafa, general secretary Anant Nath and treasurer Shriram Pawar condemned the search in a statement on Tuesday. It has been said in his statement that the process of repression is going on. In September 2021, the 'survey' of the Income Tax Department was done in the offices of 'Newsclick' and 'Newlaundry'. In the same year in June, a 'survey' was done in the offices of 'Dainik Bhaskar' and 'Dainik Samachar'. In February that year, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided the office of Newsclick. Each search followed a news report critical of the government. This trend continues. Which is fatal for constitutional democracy.
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