NEW DELHI: The income tax department on Tuesday carried out 'survey' operations at the offices of BBC in New Delhi and Mumbai, sources said, triggering a war of words between the BJP and opposition parties.I-T department officials landed at BBC's office at Delhi's Kasturba Gandhi Marg and Santa Cruz in Mumbai shortly before noon to carry out the surveys."It could be linked to TDS (tax deduction at source), foreign taxation...
There could be several issues.
The raids are still ongoing," a source in the tax department said without elaborating and added that a clear picture will emerge once the survey is over.
A survey under I-T rules involves inspection of a business premises.Information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur said no one was above the law and the income tax department would share details about the survey it had carried out at the offices of BBC even as BJP alleged that the public broadcaster is a "most corrupt corporation" whose propaganda and the Congress' agenda go together."No one can be above the law of the country," Thakur told reporters when asked about the income tax surveys on the BBC offices in India.He said the income tax department conducted surveys from time to time wherever there were some irregularities."When the surveys are over, it issues a press note or holds a press briefing to share information.
I believe that when the I-T department will complete its survey, it will share details with you," Thakur said.At a press conference soon after the income tax survey operations at the British broadcaster's offices in Mumbai and Delhi, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia also asserted that the action was lawful."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 said and added, "Today BBC stands for Bhrasht Bakwas Corporation."He rejected 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."Why can't they wait? Why is Congress always standing with the anti-national forces," Bhatia said, describing it as a routine survey and 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.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 PM Indira Gandhi had also banned the broadcaster.
Bhatia further claimed that the BBC has a "tainted and black history of working with malice against India".
"BBC propaganda and Congress agenda go together," 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.
To buttress his point, Bhatia said former British PM Margaret Thatcher described the BBC as the "Bolshevik Broadcasting Corporation".
The news broadcaster should definitely pay heed to the words of the UK's longest-serving PM, he said.WatchIncome Tax Department surveys BBCs offices in Delhi and Mumbai, Congress slams Centre