BJP slams BBC's 'venomous reporting on India', says I-T dept should do its work

Asserting that the Income Tax survey operations against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was lawful, the BJP on Tuesday (February 14) slammed the public broadcaster for unleashing “venomous” reporting against India.

The party alleged that BBC is a “most corrupt corporation” whose propaganda and that of the Congress agenda go together.

Addressing a press conference shortly after the Income Tax survey operations at the BBC offices in Mumbai and Delhi, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said, “If any agency or company operates in India, whether it is connected to media or other work, it will have to abide by the local laws.”

He rejected the Congress and other Opposition parties’ criticism of the Income Tax Department’s action, asking why they are giving the BBC a clean chit and questioning the probe agency when its investigation has not reached a conclusion yet.

IT survey is a routine one

“Why can’t they wait? Why is the Congress always standing with the anti-national forces,” Bhatia asked. He described the IT survey as a routine one claiming that the broadcaster was issued a notice earlier and the survey came after the organisation did not respond to it.

He rejected the Opposition’s criticism of the action and said the government agency should be allowed to do its job. The “timing of the action was not decided by any government or outside power”, Bhatia claimed and added that the Opposition should refrain from politicising the issue.

Also read: I-T ‘survey’ at BBC offices: How is it different from an I-T ‘search’ or ‘raid’?

Hitting out at the London-headquartered public broadcaster, he said the BBC is the “most corrupt” organisation in the world and the Congress should remember that former prime minister Indira Gandhi had also banned the broadcaster.

BBC propaganda and Congress agenda go together

The BJP leader further claimed that the BBC has a “tainted and black history of working with malice against India”. “BBC propaganda and Congress agenda go together. Congress should remember that its own leader and former prime minister Indira Gandhi had imposed a ban on the BBC,” he said.

He cited its past reports, including the one which described a terrorist as a “charismatic young militant” and allegedly called Holi a “filthy” festival. It works in India, but has little regard for its Constitution, Bhatia said.

“This shows that the BBC does venomous and shallow reporting on India. The BBC wishes to operate in India, yet refuses to respect the icons of the country. In a BBC programme, its presenter had the temerity to say that Mahatma Gandhi had failed in his attempt to liberate India in 1946,” Bhatia said.

Also read: I-T men ‘survey’ BBC offices in Delhi, Mumbai; Congress slams govt

To drive home his point, the BJP spokesperson said former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher described the BBC as “Bolshevik Broadcasting Corporation”. The news broadcaster should definitely pay heed to the words of UK’s longest serving prime minister, he said.

Bhatia said India is a country that gives opportunity to every organisation and individual as long as they are willing to abide by the Constitution and do not have hidden agendas and “spew venom” against the country.

Congress supporting anti-national forces

At a time when India is marching ahead globally under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, there are many powers which do not like it, Bhatia said. He claimed that the Congress, its leader Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition parties also feel “pained” by the country’s rise under Modi.

Accusing opposition Congress of supporting “anti-national” forces, he said, “Your hate for Modi is so much that you politicise even a probe agency’s work. You always question constitutional authorities such as the Supreme Court and the Election Commission.”

Congress criticises IT survey operation at BBC offices

The Congress on Tuesday took a swipe at the government over the Income Tax survey operation at the BBC’s offices, saying while they were demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Adani issue, the Centre is after the BBC.

Also read: SC dismisses plea seeking complete ban on BBC from operating in India

The Income Tax Department on Tuesday conducted a survey operation at BBC’s offices in Delhi and Mumbai as part of a tax evasion investigation, officials said.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also used a Hindi idiom to attack the government, saying “Vinash Kale, Vipreet Buddhi” (when doom approaches, a person’s intellect works against his interest).

“Here we are demanding JPC on the Adani issue, but the government is after the BBC. Vinash Kale Viprit Buddhi,” Ramesh said.

A recent BBC series on the 2002 Gujarat riots has been strongly criticised by the ruling BJP in India, with the government blocking access to it on social media platforms.