IT survey at BBC offices brazen hounding of BJP govt's critics: Mehbooba Mufti

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday said the Income Tax departments survey operation at the BBCs offices in Mumbai and Delhi was brazen hounding of the critics of the BJPled government at the CentreCause amp effect of raids on the BBC Office is quite obvious GOI is brazenly hounding those who speak the truth Be it opposition leaders media activists or anyone else for that matter The gloves are off amp there is a price one pays for fighting for truth Mufti tweetedThe Income Tax Department action part of an investigation into alleged tax evasion comes weeks after the British Broadcasting Corporation aired a twopart documentary India The Modi QuestionMeanwhile the Editors Guild of India said it was deeply concerned about the Income Tax surveys at the offices of BBC India and termed it as a continuation of a trend of using government agencies to intimidate and harass media outlets critical of the ruling establishmentAlso readFully cooperating says BBC on Income Tax survey at offices in IndiaIn a statement the Guild also demanded that great care and sensitivity be shown in all such investigations so as to not undermine the rights of journalists and media organisationsThe statement came after Income Tax authorities conducted a survey operation at the BBCs offices in Delhi and Mumbai as part of an investigation into alleged tax evasionThe action it is learnt is being carried out to investigate some international taxation and transfer pricing issuesThe broadcaster said it was fully cooperating with the tax authoritiesThe survey by the IT 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 said in a statement hereThe Guild noted that the IT survey came soon after the release of two documentaries by the BBC on the 2002 violence in Gujarat and the current status of the minorities in IndiaThe documentaries stirred political waters with the government criticising the BBC for wrong and prejudiced reportage on the Gujarat violence and attempting to ban online access and viewing of the films in India it saidIt recalled that IT surveys were conducted in 2021 at the offices of NewsClick Newslaundry Dainik Bhaskar and Bharat SamacharIn each case the raids and surveys were against the backdrop of critical coverage of the government establishment by the news organisations the Guild saidThis is a trend that undermines constitutional democracy it saidThe Guild reiterated its earlier demand that governments ensure that such investigations are conducted within the prescribed rules and that they dont degenerate into instruments of harassment to intimidate independent mediaThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever