oppn parties I-T Department Conducts Survey At BBC Offices: Vendetta?

Story Of The Day

Assessee Not Responsible For Ensuring TDS Is Paid To The Government: Delhi HC
OPINIONS : Strongly Expressed

December 21, 2024

People Are Talking About

Rohit Warns Sarfaraz, Police Use It To Warn Two-Wheeler Riders

News Snippets

  • The Indian envoy in Bangladesh was summoned by the country's government over the breach in the Bangladesh mission in Agartala
  • Bank account to soon have 4 nominees each
  • TMC and SP stayed away from the INDIA bloc protest over the Adani issue in the Lok Sabha
  • Delhi HC stops the police from arresting Nadeem Khan over a viral video which the police claimed promoted 'enmity'. Court says 'India's harmony not so fragile'
  • Trafiksol asked to refund IPO money by Sebi on account of alleged fraud
  • Re goes down to 84.76 against the USD but ends flat after RBI intervenes
  • Sin goods like tobacco, cigarettes and soft drinks likely to face 35% GST in the post-compensation cess era
  • Bank credit growth slows to 11% (20.6% last year) with retail oans also showing a slowdown
  • Stock markets continue their winning streak on Tuesday: Sensex jumps 597 points to 80845 and Nifty gains 181 points to 24457
  • Asian junior hockey: Defending champions India enter the finals by beating Malaysia 3-1, to play Pakistan for the title
  • Chess World title match: Ding Liren salvages a sraw in the 7th game which he almost lost
  • Experts speculate whether Ding Liren wants the world title match against D Gukesh to go into tie-break after he let off Gukesh easily in the 5th game
  • Tata Memorial Hospital and AIIMS have severely criticized former cricketer and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu for claiming that his wife fought back cancer with home remedies like haldi, garlic and neem. The hospitals warned the public for not going for such unproven remedies and not delaying treatment as it could prove fatal
  • 3 persons died and scores of policemen wer injured when a survey of a mosque in Sambhal near Bareilly in UP turned violent
  • Bangladesh to review power pacts with Indian companies, including those of the Adani group
D Gukesh is the new chess world champion at 18, the first teen to wear the crown. Capitalizes on an error by Ding Liren to snatch the crown by winning the final game g
oppn parties
I-T Department Conducts Survey At BBC Offices: Vendetta?

By Our Editorial Team
First publised on 2023-02-15 07:53:00

About the Author

Sunil Garodia The India Commentary view

Officials of the Income Tax department 'visited' the offices of BBC in India in Delhi and Mumbai in what the government has called a 'survey' to find out whether the media entity has illegally siphoned off profits from its Indian operations. I-T officials have questioned staffers and have seized mobile phones and laptops and other documents. Coming close on the heels of BBC News airing the two-part documentary India: The Modi Question, the action has been severely criticized by the opposition in India and media organization in India and abroad. The action also comes just a couple of days after a stinging editorial titled 'India's Proud Tradition Of A Free Press Is At Risk' in The New York Times where the newspaper criticized the Modi government of increasingly clamping down on journalists and media outlets critical of its policies and actions and warned that it will have serious implications for free press and democracy in India.

It should be no one's case that if the BBC has flouted transfer pricing norms and has diverted profits from its Indian operations it should not be taken to task. But apart from the timing of the I-T survey, the fact that the Modi government has a very thin skin when it comes to criticism has laid it open to charges of vendetta. The BBC documentary had, relying on a secret report of the UK government and its interviews with several people, charged that Mr Modi (then the chief minister of Gujarat) and his administration did little to stop the riots. The I-T action against BBC is being seen as another attempt by the government to browbeat the media. It is regrettable that BJP tries to rubbish everything said against the government as a conspiracy against the nation. The government must also resist the temptation of weaponizing laws to move against critics. 

Other Stories You Make Like

Editorials

Turmoil In Mollywood

Turmoil In Mollywood

NDA 3.0: Coalition Dharma

NDA 3.0: Coalition Dharma

In Depth

Supreme Court Gets Strict On Child Pornography

Supreme Court Gets Strict On Child Pornography

Editor's Pick

Budapest Chess Olympiad: India Are World Team Champions

Budapest Chess Olympiad: India Are World Team Champions
© 2014 India Commentary. All rights reserved.