India tax authorities raid media companies critical of Modi gov’t

Move against leading Hindi-language daily Dainik Bhaskar and Bharat Samachar television channel draws criticism.

Indian tax authorities have raided a prominent newspaper and a TV channel that have been critical of the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, triggering accusations of intimidation. There was no official comment from authorities on the raids on Thursday against Hindi-language daily Dainik Bhaskar and the Bharat Samachar station. Local media reported the tax department launched search operations in various locations, including in the capital, New Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra states. They quoted unnamed tax officials as saying they had “conclusive evidence of fraud”.