By G Krishna Mohan Rao*
New Delhi: The Income Tax Authorities today conducted surveys on the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) offices, simultaneously, in New Delhi and Mumbai. As the surveys continued throughout the day by the IT department, the BBC on its Twitter handle made it clear that “we are fully cooperating….we hope to have this situation resolved as soon as possible”.
Sources said that the IT department is looking at documents related to the BBC’s business operations and those related to its Indian arms. It was elaborated that the surveys on the BBC offices were “in view of the deliberate non-compliance with the transfer pricing rules and its vast diversion of profits”. They alleged that in the case of the BBC, there have been “persistent non-compliance….for years”.
“As a result of the same, several notices have been issued to the BBC. However, the BBC has been continuously defiant and non-compliant and has significantly diverted their profits”, the sources said.
However, this action resulted in a strong reaction in the political and media circles of the national capital. While the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had fully supported the raids, the Opposition led by the Congress and Left parties condemned it in the wake of the recent controversy surrounding the telecast of the BBC documentary “India: The Modi Question” on the Gujarat riots of 2002 that took place during Prime Minister Modi’s stint as the chief minister of the state. The Editors Guild of India and the Press Club of India expressed deep concern and termed it as a continuation of a “ trend” of using government agencies to “ intimidate and harass” media outlets critical of the ruling establishment.
It is clarified that the exercise conducted by the tax authorities is a “survey” and not a search or a raid as per the provisions of the Income Tax Act. “Such surveys are routinely conducted and are not to be confused to be in the nature of a search or raid,” sources said.
It may be recalled that the Centre had earlier blocked the BBC documentary released last month examining Prime Minister Modi’s role during the 2002 anti-Muslim riots. It also banned people from sharing it online. Security forces were scrambled to halt screenings of the programme at colleges and restrict clips of it on social media. Critics described the crackdown as an assault on press freedom.
Earlier in the day, the IT department started survey operations at the India offices of BBC, in both Delhi and Mumbai simultaneously. According to sources, the IT officials were verifying certain account documents in the finance department of BBC. IT officers, between 50 to 60, arrived at the Kasturba Gandhi Marg office in the national capital for the survey. Same time they arrived at the Mumbai office at Kalina Santacruz.
Meanwhile, amid the ongoing IT surveys in Delhi and Mumbai, political parties are coming out with strong reactions. BJP slammed the BBC calling it ‘Bhrasht Bakwaas Corporation’. A BJP spokesman said that any media organisation functioning in India will have to follow the rules and regulations of the country. The BJP further said, “unfortunately”, BBC’s propaganda and Congress’ agenda are on the same lines.
The Congress, on the other hand, termed it as “intimidation tactics” and pointed out that this action shows that the Modi government is scared of criticism. Reacting to the development, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said “Time and again, there has been an assault on freedom of the press under the (Narendra) Modi government. This is done with brazen and unapologetic vengeance to strangulation remotely critical voices”. Chief spokesman Jairam Ramesh said that while the party is demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe on the Adani issue, the “government is after the BBC”.
Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) general secretary Sitaram Yechuri also slammed the government for not accepting the Opposition’s demand for a JPC probe into the Adani Group issue. “First ban BBC documentaries. No JPC enquiry into Adani exposures. Now IT raids on BBC offices! India: Mother of democracy?” Yechuri said in a tweet.
*Senior journalist
