New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday called the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) the “most corrupt corporation in the world”, hours after the Income Tax department conducted a survey in its Delhi and Mumbai offices to probe alleged irregularities in transfer pricing and international taxation.
The government’s action drew sharp criticism from the Opposition, who called the survey “intimidation” and “authoritarian”.
To this, BJP’s national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia retorted in a press meet: “If any company or organisation is working in India, they have to comply with the Indian law. Why are you scared if you are adhering to the law? The IT department should be allowed to do their work. BBC is the most corrupt organisation in the world. BBC propaganda matches with Congress agenda.”
Bhatia also reminded the Congress that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had once banned the BBC, adding, “The BBC’s history is black, tarnished, and has been anti-India”.
Soon after the survey action in the BBC’s offices, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra sarcastically said in a tweet — “How unexpected!”
Reports of Income Tax raid at BBC's Delhi office
Wow, really? How unexpected.
Meanwhile farsaan seva for Adani when he drops in for a chat with Chairman @SEBI_India office.
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) February 14, 2023
“Meanwhile, farsaan seva for Adani when he drops in for a chat with Chairman @SEBI_India office,” she tweeted.
Moitra was referring to the government’s silence on the demand for a probe into American short-seller Hindenburg Research’s critical allegations against the Adani Group, including its use of “improper use of offshore tax havens and stock manipulation”.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted that while the Opposition was asking for a joint-parliamentary committee probe into the Adani-Hindenburg row, the government was going after the BBC. “Vinash kale vipreet budhi,” he said.
यहाँ हम JPC की मांग अडानी पर कर रहे हैं … और सरकार BBC के पीछे पड़ी है .
विनाशकाले विपरीत बुद्धि ..
~श्री @Jairam_Ramesh pic.twitter.com/VxjnGmX8KE
— Amrish Ranjan Pandey (@pandey_amrish) February 14, 2023
Congress Rajya Sabha MP K.C. Venugopal said the government’s action against the BBC “reeks of desperation”. He said the Modi government was scared of criticism.
The IT raid at BBC’s offices reeks of desperation and shows that the Modi government is scared of criticism.
We condemn these intimidation tactics in the harshest terms. This undemocratic and dictatorial attitude cannot go on any longer.
— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) February 14, 2023
Income Tax department sources told ThePrint that it suspected the BBC of not complying with transfer-pricing rules and getting unauthorised tax advantages. “It is also suspected that they diverted profits,” the source said. The source added that the BBC was earlier sent notices to explain the suspected violations but they were “non-responsive”.
The BBC has been in the news following the release of a controversial two-part documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Soon after “India: The Modi Question” was aired, the Centre ordered social media platforms Twitter and YouTube to delete tweets and videos sharing the film, calling it a “propaganda piece”.
The documentary chronicled the events that transpired during the 2002 Gujarat riots when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief minister of the state.
Earlier Tuesday, during an interview with news agency ANI, Union Home Minister Amit Shah was asked if he saw a conspiracy behind the BBC documentary or the American firm Hindenburg Research’s damning report on the Adani Group.
Shah replied: “Thousands of conspiracies cannot harm the truth. Truth shines bright like the sun. They have been doing it since 2002 against PM Narendra Modi. And every time, he has emerged stronger, truthfully and by gaining more popularity among people every time.”
Also read: Cong attacks govt over Income Tax survey operation at BBC offices