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Updated February 14th, 2023 at 15:43 IST

Opposition backs BBC amid I-T Dept surveys at broadcaster's offices, BJP hits back

The Opposition has come out in support of the BBC after the I-T Department carried out surveys at its office. The BJP has hit back at the Opposition parties.

Reported by: Ajay Sharma
BBC
The Opposition has come out in support of the British Broadcaster BBC(Image: PTI/AP) | Image:self
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The Opposition has come out in support of the British Broadcaster BBC after the Income Tax (I-T) Department carried out surveys at the Delhi and Mumbai offices of the latter on Tuesday.

The Congress party linked the I-T department's action against BBC with the Centre's ban on the British broadcaster's recent documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots. "First came the BBC documentary, it was banned. Now I-T has raided BBC. Undeclared Emergency," Congress said in a tweet. 

Rajya Sabha member and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh attacked the central government saying: "Here we are demanding JPC on Adani row, but there the government is behind the BBC. Destruction blackens the wisdom."

Meanwhile, another Congress leader KC Venugopal condemned the government's  "intimidation tactics". He said: "We condemn these intimidation tactics in the harshest terms. This undemocratic and dictatorial attitude cannot go on any longer."

Opposition backs BBC

While the Congress party called the I-T surveys at BBC offices "undeclared emergency", Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav dubbed it as an "ideological emergency". "The news of the BBC raid is a declaration of 'ideological emergency'," the SP chief tweeted.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj went one step ahead and said that the action against the BBC has embarrassed the country. "Central Govt has embarrassed itself and the Country by raiding offices of BBC. Modi govt is attempting to silence the BBC voice through it's well known & so predictable move of harassing anyone who refuses to fall in line. Modi ji your Adani scam will not get diverted through such condemnable actions," the Arvind Kejriwal party leader said in a series of tweets.

 

Notably, according to PTI sources, the I-T department is looking at documents related to the business operations of the broadcaster and those related to its Indian arm.

BJP hits back at Congress, Opposition

Addressing a press conference on the Opposition's reaction to the I-T department's surveys at BBC offices, BJP spokesperson  slammed the Opposition saying that their reactions are a matter of concern for the Indians.

"The political reactions are coming on the ongoing survey of the I-T department at BBC offices, be it’s Congress, TMC or SP, it’s a matter of concern for all the Indians. First, Congress needs to understand that the country runs according to the constitution. This is the Modi government. Investigating agencies are no longer caged parrots. They are doing their work. Any agency whether a media firm or a company, working in India has to obey Indian laws. If nothing wrong has been done, then there should be no fear," Bhatia said.

Attacking the BBC, the BJP leader said: "If we look at the works of the BBC, it has become the world’s ‘Bhrashta Bakwas Corporation’. It is said that BBC’s propaganda and Congress' agenda are similar." Adding further he said: "We know that India is leading the world under the leadership of PM Modi. But there are forces who do not like this. And whenever the country performs well, then these agencies or Rahul Gandhi’s Congress and some leaders of the Opposition feel pain."

Calling the BBC's history "dark and against India", he said: "The Congress party must remember how Indira Gandhi had put a ban on the BBC."

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Published February 14th, 2023 at 15:09 IST

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