"Dictatorial": Cong leader slams I-T surveys at BBC offices

With an I-T 'survey' underway at the BBC offices, located in Delhi and Mumbai, Congress on Tuesday reacted sharply and accused the government of showing a "dictatorial" attitude.

The former Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Uttam Kumar Reddy said that this operation, carried out by officials of the I-T department, will malign the country's image throughout the world.

"The Income Tax department survey, searches or raids, on the offices of BBC in Delhi and Bombay will reflect India in a very poor light internationally," the Nalgonda MP said.

He said that Narendra Modi and his government cannot take any criticism. "Their desperation, undemocratic, dictatorial attitude is very clear," he added.

Condemning the operation, at the offices of BBC, Reddy said, "it is very sad and is very bad for the country's image throughout the world."

"BBC has some credibility, and because they publish a documentary critical of you, your IT dept raids them this is very sad and we condemn this," he added.

Earlier in the day, Income tax officials arrived at BBC offices located at the national capital's KG Marg for the survey. The British broadcaster's office at Kalina Santacruz in Mumbai was also surveyed, sources said adding that the survey was limited to business premises of BBC only.

According to reports, a team of IT officials arrived at the BBC Studios office in Kalina Santacruz around 11.30 am today and a survey has been going on since then. There is no IT activity at the BBC News office at Linking road Bandra West.

It is learnt that the tax officials are conducting verification of certain account documents in the finance department of the BBC offices.

During the investigation, the mobile phones of all the employees present in the BBC office were taken away by the Income Tax team. The data of the computer kept in the accounts and finance department was also scanned. According to sources, officials said the devices will be returned to their owners after taking a backup.

However, as the survey was underway, the British public broadcaster BBC News released a statement, saying that it is cooperating with the Income Tax department, which is conducting a survey at its offices in New Delhi and Mumbai.

"The Income Tax Authorities are currently at the BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai and we are fully cooperating," the BBC News Press Team said in a statement.

The searches come weeks after the BBC released a documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi - 'India: The Modi Question," which caused controversy on January 21. The Centre had issued directions for blocking multiple YouTube videos and Twitter posts sharing links to the controversial BBC documentary on PM Modi. The Supreme Court had on February 3 directed the central government to produce original records relating to its decision to block the BBC documentary.

( With inputs from ANI )