News Broadcasters' Group NBDA Condemns Tax Surveys At BBC Offices
NDTV
Income Tax officials searched the BBC's Delhi and Mumbai offices, weeks after a massive controversy over the UK broadcaster's documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The News Broadcasters and Digital Association (NBDA) has expressed "deep anguish" over the Income Tax surveys conducted at the offices of BBC, a member of the media group.
"While NBDA maintains that no institution is above the law, it condemns any attempt to muzzle and intimidate the media and interfere with the free functioning of journalists and media organisations. Such attempts undermine the basic tenets of free speech as enshrined in the constitution and severely affect the free and fearless functioning of a democracy," the NBDA said in a statement.
"NBDA states that such Income Tax 'surveys' leads to consistent harassment of the media, which also impacts the reputation and image of India as the world's largest democracy. NBDA urges the Government to ensure that any investigation undertaken by it, must be in strict adherence with the principles of natural justice and the prevalent law," it added.
Income Tax officials searched the BBC's Delhi and Mumbai offices on Tuesday, weeks after a massive controversy over the UK national broadcaster's documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the deadly sectarian riots in Gujarat in 2002.
