Editors Guild ‘deeply involved’ about I-T survey at BBC places of work
3 min readBy PTI
NEW DELHI: The Editors Guild of India on Tuesday stated it was “deeply concerned” concerning the Income Tax surveys on the places of work of BBC India and termed it as a continuation of a “trend” of utilizing authorities companies to “intimidate and harass” media retailers important of the ruling institution.
In a press release, the Guild additionally demanded that nice care and sensitivity be proven in all such investigations in order to not undermine the rights of journalists and media organisations.
The assertion got here after Income Tax authorities performed a survey operation on the BBC’s places of work in Delhi and Mumbai as a part of an investigation into alleged tax evasion.
The motion, it’s learnt, is being carried out to analyze some worldwide taxation and switch pricing points.
The broadcaster stated it was “fully cooperating” with the tax authorities.
“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 stated in a press release right here.
The Guild famous that the IT survey got here quickly after the discharge of two documentaries by the BBC on the 2002 violence in Gujarat and the present standing of the minorities in India.
The documentaries stirred political waters, with the federal government criticising the BBC for flawed and prejudiced reportage on the Gujarat violence and making an attempt to ban on-line entry and viewing of the movies in India, it stated.
It recalled that IT surveys have been performed in 2021 on the places of work of NewsClick, Newslaundry, Dainik Bhaskar and Bharat Samachar.
“In each case, the raids and surveys were against the backdrop of critical coverage of the government establishment by the news organisations,” the Guild stated.
“This is a trend that undermines constitutional democracy,” it stated.
The Guild reiterated its earlier demand that governments be certain that such investigations are performed throughout the prescribed guidelines and that they do not degenerate into devices of harassment to intimidate impartial media.
NEW DELHI: The Editors Guild of India on Tuesday stated it was “deeply concerned” concerning the Income Tax surveys on the places of work of BBC India and termed it as a continuation of a “trend” of utilizing authorities companies to “intimidate and harass” media retailers important of the ruling institution.
In a press release, the Guild additionally demanded that nice care and sensitivity be proven in all such investigations in order to not undermine the rights of journalists and media organisations.
The assertion got here after Income Tax authorities performed a survey operation on the BBC’s places of work in Delhi and Mumbai as a part of an investigation into alleged tax evasion.
The motion, it’s learnt, is being carried out to analyze some worldwide taxation and switch pricing points.
The broadcaster stated it was “fully cooperating” with the tax authorities.
“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 stated in a press release right here.
The Guild famous that the IT survey got here quickly after the discharge of two documentaries by the BBC on the 2002 violence in Gujarat and the present standing of the minorities in India.
The documentaries stirred political waters, with the federal government criticising the BBC for flawed and prejudiced reportage on the Gujarat violence and making an attempt to ban on-line entry and viewing of the movies in India, it stated.
It recalled that IT surveys have been performed in 2021 on the places of work of NewsClick, Newslaundry, Dainik Bhaskar and Bharat Samachar.
“In each case, the raids and surveys were against the backdrop of critical coverage of the government establishment by the news organisations,” the Guild stated.
“This is a trend that undermines constitutional democracy,” it stated.
The Guild reiterated its earlier demand that governments be certain that such investigations are performed throughout the prescribed guidelines and that they do not degenerate into devices of harassment to intimidate impartial media.
