IT raid at BBC’s Delhi office,  phones seized 

This comes amid a controversy over the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi…reports Asian Lite News

The Income Tax department on Tuesday reached the British Broadcasting Service (BBC) office in Delhi’s Kasturba Gandhi Marg to conduct a survey, said the sources.

The sources also said that the team reached there to verify documents and some of the employees were also asked to leave the office and go home.

“Phones have also been seized,” said the sources.

This comes amid a controversy over the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Last week, the Supreme Court had declined to entertain a PIL filed by Hindu Sena seeking a ban on the BBC for airing the documentary ‘India: The Modi Question’ on the 2002 Gujarat riots.

A bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna said the court cannot impose censorship and the plea was misconceived.

The bench, also comprising Justice M.M. Sundresh, queried senior advocate Pinky Anand, representing the petitioner, “Completely misconceived, how can this be argued also? You want us to put complete censorship…”

The counsel urged the bench to hear the petitioner. The bench said, “What is this (the petition)?” The counsel had pressed that the matter should be heard.

‘Modi Govt scared of criticism’

The Congress on Tuesday termed the Income Tax department’s survey operations at the BBC office as an ‘act of intimidation’ and said the government was scared of criticism.

Party General Secretary K.C. Venugopal said, “The I-T 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,” he added.

Income Tax department officials on Tuesday conducted “survey” operations at BBC’s Delhi and Mumbai office, according to sources.

The development comes weeks after the BBC released a two-part documentary titled ‘India: The Modi Question’ on the 2002 Gujarat riots.

According to reports, the employees of the broadcasting corporation were asked not to use their computer systems and phones, including their personal ones.

Reports quoting sources said the employees working in the afternoon shift at the BBC’s Delhi office were asked to work from home, while those present in office were asked to leave early.

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