'Govt Weaponised To Silence Dissent': Here's How Global Watchdogs & Rights Body's Reacted To Tax Raids At BBC India Offices

Weeks after the controversy surrounding the BBC Documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Income Tax Department officials have raided the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) offices in New Delhi and Mumbai. The surprise raid by the tax department came about on February 14 and lasted for several hours, with the officials sealing and confiscating the phones of the staff. They looked through several operations-related documents of the London headquartered public broadcaster and its Indian arm.

According to official statements, the investigation was linked to international taxation issues of BBC subsidiary companies. However, with the raid coming just weeks after the documentary row, several global media houses and watchdogs have condemned the move and called it an attack on 'press freedom.'

Criticisms Echo On A Global Level

The documentary series, 'India: The Modi Question,' had stirred quite a row regarding the BBC's claims on the Prime Minister's involvement in the 2002 Gujarat riots. It was followed by the Ministry of Information Technology banning the documentary by stating that it threatened the country's sovereignty.

The raid at BBC India's branches was the next move, and this drew the attention and widespread criticisms from global media watchdogs and rights bodies. They called out the Indian government's surprise tax survey as "smacks of intimidation" and a "blatant affront" to freedom of expression. Meanwhile, the UK-based public broadcaster said they would be "fully cooperating" with the authorities and hoped the situation would be resolved soon.

Responding to the raid, New York-based non-profit Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged the Indian government to stop harassing journalists as it stood against the "values of freedom that should be espoused in the world's largest democracy." Their official statement further elaborated that the authorities have a history of using tax investigations as a veil to target news outlets. Asia programme Coordinator of CPJ, Beh Lih Yi, tweeted in this regard, "Raiding the BBC's India offices in the wake of a documentary criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi smacks of intimidation."

Raiding @BBCIndia's offices after a documentary critical of PM Modi smacks of intimidation. This is not the first time Indian authorities are using #tax investigations as a pretext to target critical news outlets - the harassment must stop@pressfreedomhttps://t.co/barkEgOTsW

— Beh Lih Yi 馬麗怡 (@behlihyi) February 14, 2023

Following the line of tweets, the group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said that the tax searches following the censorship of the documentary "constitute an outrageous reprisal." Further, they denounced the government's attempts to silence criticism. Amnesty International and South Asia Solidarity Group, too, tagged the raids as a "blatant affront to freedom of expression."

An NDTV report quoted the groups saying the government was clearly trying to intimidate the media outlet over its critical coverage of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Amnesty tweeted, "the overbroad powers of the Income Tax Department are repeatedly being weaponised to silence dissent. Last year, tax officials also raided the offices of several NGOs, including Oxfam India. These intimidatory acts, which undermine the right to freedom of expression in India, must end now."

📢 The practice of Indian authorities to weaponize central agencies against those who dare to be critical of the regime is deeply repressive and undermines free speech. The latest Income Tax raids, which are being masked as ‘surveys’, against #BBC must end now!

— Amnesty International (@amnesty) February 14, 2023

Indian Press Freedom Under Constant Threat

In the country, several bodies, such as the Editor's Guild, Press Club of India, and Digipub, voiced their concern over the tax raids. The Guild noted that the surveys carried out by the department are in line with a "trend of using government agencies to intimidate press organisations" which are found to be critical of the government policies.

The Press Club of India also "condemned" the raids by pointing at the series of attacks on media made by government agencies. Their statement further conveyed that such an attack, made clearly out of vendetta, could damage the reputation India carries as the largest democracy in the world. Digipub News India Foundation, in their statement, conveyed a similar idea by saying, "They not only tar India's global image as a mature democracy but could also impair relations between friendly nations." The press bodies then appealed to the government to restrain their agencies from misusing and establishing powers unchecked.

The Press Club is deeply concerned that the government’s action on an international broadcasting network will damage the reputation and image of India as the world’s largest democracy. We urge the govt to restrain its agencies from misusing their powers to intimidate the media pic.twitter.com/h41vQjeWVs

— Press Club of India (@PCITweets) February 14, 2023

The Wire, a news media forum and member of the Digipub foundation, said in a report that "Since 2021, the offices of Newsclick, Newslaundry, Dainik Bhaskar, Bharat Samachar, and The Wire" were raided. They added that such raids have noticeably been directed at media houses that criticise power, suggesting that the ruling goverment uses power to constrict the constitutionally guaranteed rights of free speech, press freedom, and the inalienable right of citizens to know the unvarnished truth." Through their statement, Digipub said that they hope the government recognises that it can truly serve the national interest only through greater transparency and accountability rather than imposing restrictions and fear.

Also Read: BBC Documentary Row: Protests In West To Ban Media House & Petitions In India To Investigate 2002 Riots