BBC responds to ‘survey’ on income taxation at offices in Delhi and Mumbai:

In the course of looking into possible tax avoidance, the Income Tax Department on Tuesday carried out a survey operation at the BBC’s offices in Delhi and Mumbai.
At its offices in New Delhi and Mumbai, the Income Tax agency is conducting a survey, and the BBC News stated on Tuesday that it was fully cooperating with them.
The BBC’s New Delhi and Mumbai offices are currently hosting the Income Tax Authorities, and we are fully cooperating, the British broadcaster announced on Twitter. The statement said, “We aim to have this matter handled as quickly as possible.”
As part of an inquiry into potential tax avoidance, the Income Tax Department is undertaking a survey operation at the BBC’s offices in Delhi and Mumbai.
The tax authorities’ visit comes less than a month after the BBC aired a two-part documentary about the 2002 Gujarat riots called India: The Modi Question, which was derided by the Indian government as “propaganda.”

The presence of personnel at the BBC headquarters in New Delhi was verified to HT by a Central Board of Direct Taxes representative. It’s not a raid; it’s a survey, he explained.

According to a second official, the government was looking into “some BBC-related concerns based on clear inputs of various violations.” “Studies are carried out to identify these abnormalities. It wouldn’t be known if there were any intentional abnormalities until the survey was over, the second official said, requesting anonymity.
Observers and news teams could be seen outside the BBC office on Kasturba Gandhi Marg in central Delhi as the word spread. The office is located in Santa Cruz in Mumbai.

The I-T Department only inspects a company’s business sites as part of a survey; it does not raid the homes or other places of its promoters or directors.

“Don’t spew hate,” BJP tells BBC
When operating in India, the BBC shouldn’t “spew hatred,” according to BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia.

Bhatia allegedly engaged in anti-Indian propaganda, according to media. India is a nation that offers opportunities to all organizations—as long as they don’t spew hate speech.

In addition, Bhatia disagreed with the Congress’ criticism of the I-T decision and insisted that the government body should be allowed to carry out its mandate.
He attacked the public broadcaster with its headquarters in London, calling it the “most corrupt” organisation in the world and reminding the Congress that the broadcaster had also been outlawed by the previous prime minister, Indira Gandhi.

We reject “intimidation techniques,” declares Congress.
The survey operation at the BBC headquarters was criticised by the Congress as “intimidation techniques” and was claimed to be evidence of the Narendra Modi administration’s fear of criticism.

While the party is calling for a Joint Parliamentary Committee investigation into the Gautam Adani matter, according to Congress national secretary Jairam Ramesh, “the government is after the BBC.”

In addition, he utilised the Hindi proverb “Vinash Kale, Vipreet Buddhi” (When doom comes, a person’s intellect works against his benefit) to criticise the government.

The IT raid at the BBC’s premises, according to Congress General Secretary (Organization) KC Venugopal, “reeks of desperation and demonstrates that the Modi government is afraid of criticism.”