I-T division conducts ‘survey’ operation at BBC’s workplaces; broadcaster points assertion

By Agencies

NEW DELHI: The Income Tax Department raided the workplaces of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in New Delhi and Mumbai workplaces on Tuesday, weeks after the broadcaster aired a documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the lethal sectarian riots in 2002.

As a part of a survey, the Income Tax Department solely covers the enterprise premises of an organization and doesn’t raid residences and different places of its promoters or administrators. The division is paperwork associated to the enterprise operations of the London headquartered public broadcaster and its Indian arm, they mentioned. The investigation is linked to worldwide taxation problems with BBC subsidiary firms, sources indicated.

The synchronised shock motion started at 11 am with I-T officers reaching the BBC workplaces in Delhi and in Mumbai. Police sealed off the New Delhi workplace, which occupies two flooring, and half a dozen officers have been stationed exterior to stop folks from coming into or leaving. As information unfold, onlookers and media crews have been seen exterior the BBC workplace at central Delhi’s Kasturba Gandhi Marg. In Mumbai, the workplace is in Santa Cruz.

According to studies, the staff of the broadcasting company have been requested to not use their laptop methods and telephones, together with their private ones. Reports quoting sources mentioned the staff working within the afternoon shift on the BBC’s Delhi workplace have been requested to work at home, whereas these current within the workplace have been requested to go away early.

A BBC worker based mostly in New Delhi instructed AFP that the tax raid was in progress and that officers have been “confiscating all phones.”

Another BBC staffer based mostly in Mumbai confirmed the broadcaster’s workplace in India’s industrial hub was additionally being raided.

WATCH |

An official on the scene mentioned: “There is government procedure happening inside the office,” declining to reveal their division. Meanwhile, the Income Tax Department couldn’t be reached for remark by AFP.

Last month, the broadcaster aired a two-part documentary alleging that Hindu nationalist Modi ordered police to show a blind eye to sectarian riots in Gujarat state, the place he was premier on the time. The violence left no less than 1,000 folks useless, most of them minority Muslims.

India’s authorities blocked movies and tweets sharing hyperlinks to the documentary, utilizing emergency powers below its data expertise legal guidelines. Government adviser Kanchan Gupta had slammed the documentary as “hostile propaganda and anti-India garbage.”

University scholar teams later organised viewings of the documentary regardless of campus bans, defying authorities efforts to cease its unfold. Police arrested two dozen college students on the prestigious Delhi University after stopping a screening there in late January.

ALSO READ | Congress assaults Centre over Income Tax ‘survey operation’ at BBC workplaces

‘Fully cooperating’, says BBC 

Meanwhile, The BBC mentioned on Tuesday that it’s “fully cooperating” with the Income Tax authorities and hoped that the state of affairs might be resolved “as soon as possible.”

The UK-headquartered public broadcaster didn’t give additional particulars of what has been described as “surveys” by the I-T division. “The Income Tax Authorities are currently at the BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai and we are fully cooperating,” a BBC spokesperson mentioned in an announcement.

“We hope to have this situation resolved as soon as possible,” the spokesperson mentioned.

The documentary additionally triggered coordinated Indian diaspora protests at BBC workplaces throughout totally different UK cities on the finish of final month. Earlier, The UK authorities responded within the House of Commons to the protests by insisting the BBC as a media organisation was “independent in its outlet” and reiterating its dedication to enhancing ties with India.

Press freedom

Press freedom on the planet’s greatest democracy has suffered throughout Modi’s tenure, rights activists say. India has fallen 10 spots to 150 out of 180 international locations within the World Press Freedom Index, compiled by Reporters Without Borders, since he took workplace in 2014. Critical reporters, notably ladies, say they’re subjected to relentless campaigns of on-line abuse.

Media shops, worldwide rights teams and overseas charities have additionally discovered themselves subjected to scrutiny by India’s tax authorities and monetary crimes investigators. Late Catholic nun Mother Teresa’s charity final 12 months discovered itself quickly starved of funds after the house ministry refused to resume its licence to obtain overseas donations. Amnesty International introduced it was halting operations in India after the federal government froze its financial institution accounts in 2020, following raids on its workplaces.

In 2021, Indian tax authorities raided a distinguished newspaper and a TV channel that had been vital of the federal government’s dealing with of the coronavirus pandemic, triggering accusations of intimidation.

ALSO READ | Centre claims BBC documentary on PM Modi a ‘Propaganda piece’

‘Campaign of violence’

The 2002 riots in Gujarat started after 59 Hindu pilgrims have been killed in a fireplace on a practice. Thirty-one Muslims have been convicted of prison conspiracy and homicide over that incident. The BBC documentary cited a beforehand categorized British overseas ministry report quoting unnamed sources saying that Modi met senior law enforcement officials and “ordered them not to intervene” within the anti-Muslim violence by right-wing Hindu teams that adopted.

The violence was “politically motivated” and the purpose “was to purge Muslims from Hindu areas”, the overseas ministry report mentioned. The “systematic campaign of violence has all the hallmarks of ethnic cleansing” and was not possible “without the climate of impunity created by the State Government… Narendra Modi is directly responsible”, it concluded.

Modi, who ran Gujarat from 2001 till his election as prime minister in 2014, was briefly topic to a journey ban by the United States over the violence. A particular investigative workforce appointed by India’s Supreme Court to probe the roles of Modi and others within the violence mentioned in 2012 it didn’t discover any proof to prosecute the then chief minister.

(Further studies awaited)
(With Inputs from AFP, PTI, IANS)

NEW DELHI: The Income Tax Department raided the workplaces of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in New Delhi and Mumbai workplaces on Tuesday, weeks after the broadcaster aired a documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the lethal sectarian riots in 2002.

As a part of a survey, the Income Tax Department solely covers the enterprise premises of an organization and doesn’t raid residences and different places of its promoters or administrators. The division is paperwork associated to the enterprise operations of the London headquartered public broadcaster and its Indian arm, they mentioned. The investigation is linked to worldwide taxation problems with BBC subsidiary firms, sources indicated.

The synchronised shock motion started at 11 am with I-T officers reaching the BBC workplaces in Delhi and in Mumbai. Police sealed off the New Delhi workplace, which occupies two flooring, and half a dozen officers have been stationed exterior to stop folks from coming into or leaving. As information unfold, onlookers and media crews have been seen exterior the BBC workplace at central Delhi’s Kasturba Gandhi Marg. In Mumbai, the workplace is in Santa Cruz.

According to studies, the staff of the broadcasting company have been requested to not use their laptop methods and telephones, together with their private ones. Reports quoting sources mentioned the staff working within the afternoon shift on the BBC’s Delhi workplace have been requested to work at home, whereas these current within the workplace have been requested to go away early.

A BBC worker based mostly in New Delhi instructed AFP that the tax raid was in progress and that officers have been “confiscating all phones.”

Another BBC staffer based mostly in Mumbai confirmed the broadcaster’s workplace in India’s industrial hub was additionally being raided.

WATCH |

An official on the scene mentioned: “There is government procedure happening inside the office,” declining to reveal their division. Meanwhile, the Income Tax Department couldn’t be reached for remark by AFP.

Last month, the broadcaster aired a two-part documentary alleging that Hindu nationalist Modi ordered police to show a blind eye to sectarian riots in Gujarat state, the place he was premier on the time. The violence left no less than 1,000 folks useless, most of them minority Muslims.

India’s authorities blocked movies and tweets sharing hyperlinks to the documentary, utilizing emergency powers below its data expertise legal guidelines. Government adviser Kanchan Gupta had slammed the documentary as “hostile propaganda and anti-India garbage.”

University scholar teams later organised viewings of the documentary regardless of campus bans, defying authorities efforts to cease its unfold. Police arrested two dozen college students on the prestigious Delhi University after stopping a screening there in late January.

ALSO READ | Congress assaults Centre over Income Tax ‘survey operation’ at BBC workplaces

‘Fully cooperating’, says BBC 

Meanwhile, The BBC mentioned on Tuesday that it’s “fully cooperating” with the Income Tax authorities and hoped that the state of affairs might be resolved “as soon as possible.”

The UK-headquartered public broadcaster didn’t give additional particulars of what has been described as “surveys” by the I-T division. “The Income Tax Authorities are currently at the BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai and we are fully cooperating,” a BBC spokesperson mentioned in an announcement.

“We hope to have this situation resolved as soon as possible,” the spokesperson mentioned.

The documentary additionally triggered coordinated Indian diaspora protests at BBC workplaces throughout totally different UK cities on the finish of final month. Earlier, The UK authorities responded within the House of Commons to the protests by insisting the BBC as a media organisation was “independent in its outlet” and reiterating its dedication to enhancing ties with India.

Press freedom

Press freedom on the planet’s greatest democracy has suffered throughout Modi’s tenure, rights activists say. India has fallen 10 spots to 150 out of 180 international locations within the World Press Freedom Index, compiled by Reporters Without Borders, since he took workplace in 2014. Critical reporters, notably ladies, say they’re subjected to relentless campaigns of on-line abuse.

Media shops, worldwide rights teams and overseas charities have additionally discovered themselves subjected to scrutiny by India’s tax authorities and monetary crimes investigators. Late Catholic nun Mother Teresa’s charity final 12 months discovered itself quickly starved of funds after the house ministry refused to resume its licence to obtain overseas donations. Amnesty International introduced it was halting operations in India after the federal government froze its financial institution accounts in 2020, following raids on its workplaces.

In 2021, Indian tax authorities raided a distinguished newspaper and a TV channel that had been vital of the federal government’s dealing with of the coronavirus pandemic, triggering accusations of intimidation.

ALSO READ | Centre claims BBC documentary on PM Modi a ‘Propaganda piece’

‘Campaign of violence’

The 2002 riots in Gujarat started after 59 Hindu pilgrims have been killed in a fireplace on a practice. Thirty-one Muslims have been convicted of prison conspiracy and homicide over that incident. The BBC documentary cited a beforehand categorized British overseas ministry report quoting unnamed sources saying that Modi met senior law enforcement officials and “ordered them not to intervene” within the anti-Muslim violence by right-wing Hindu teams that adopted.

The violence was “politically motivated” and the purpose “was to purge Muslims from Hindu areas”, the overseas ministry report mentioned. The “systematic campaign of violence has all the hallmarks of ethnic cleansing” and was not possible “without the climate of impunity created by the State Government… Narendra Modi is directly responsible”, it concluded.

Modi, who ran Gujarat from 2001 till his election as prime minister in 2014, was briefly topic to a journey ban by the United States over the violence. A particular investigative workforce appointed by India’s Supreme Court to probe the roles of Modi and others within the violence mentioned in 2012 it didn’t discover any proof to prosecute the then chief minister.

(Further studies awaited)
(With Inputs from AFP, PTI, IANS)