Editors Guild expresses concern over Income Tax Department survey in BBC offices

Expressing deep concern over the IT department's survey of BBC India's offices, the Editors Guild of India on Tuesday termed it as a continuation of the "trend" of using government agencies to "intimidate and harass" media houses critical of the government. Gave. The Guild issued a statement demanding that utmost care and sensitivity be exercised in all such investigations, so that the rights of journalists and media organizations are not weakened. The Guild's statement came after Income Tax officials conducted a survey of BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai as part of a probe into alleged tax evasion.

The UK public broadcaster said it was "cooperating fully" with tax authorities. "The Income Tax Department survey is a continuation of the trend of using government agencies to intimidate and harass media organizations critical of government policies or government policies," the Guild said in a statement here. This IT survey has been conducted after the screening of BBC documentaries on violence and the current situation of minorities in India.

The Guild mentioned that IT surveys were also conducted in the offices of media organizations like Newsclick, Newslaundry, Dainik Bhaskar and Bharat Samachar in 2021. It said, 'In each case, the raids and surveys were in the backdrop of critical coverage of the government establishment by news organizations.' The Guild said, 'This is a trend, which makes constitutional democracy weak.' The Guild reiterated its earlier demand that governments ensure that such investigations are carried out within prescribed norms and that they do not turn into methods of harassment to intimidate an independent media.