Income tax raid at BBC Delhi, Mumbai offices; Congress calls it 'undeclared emergency'

The Income Tax Department is reportedly raiding the British Broadcasting Service (BBC) offices in Delhi and Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex. The raid at the Delhi office began around 11.30am.

It wasn't immediately clear why the offices were being raided. However, according to sources, the IT department is calling these raids as 'surveys'.

Reportedly, a team of 15 people are conducting the 'survey' at BBC's Delhi office. The phones of the staff were asked to switch off the phones and nobody is being allowed to enter or leave the premises.

An internal ’emergency’ message circulated among the staff at BBC asked the employees to not to go to office today and this week.

According to reports, as part of a survey, the IT Department only covers the business premises of a company and does not raid residences and other locations of its promoters or directors.

Reacting to the IT survey, BBC stated that, "The Income Tax Authorities are currently at the BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai and we are fully cooperating. We hope to have this situation resolved as soon as possible".

“Surveys were conducted on the basis of international taxation and transfer pricing irregularities. Documents related to the business operations of the company and those related to its Indian arm are being surveyed. Only the business premises of a company to be raided, residences and other locations of its promoters or directors will not be under the scanner,” reported Network18.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a publicly funded broadcasting system in the United Kingdom that operates under a royal charter. It had a monopoly on television in the United Kingdom from its inception until 1954, and on radio until 1972.

Meanwhile, Congress reacted to IT officials reaching out to the BBC offices and said, "First the ban (on the BBC documentary) and now this IT raid". Congress dubbed the raid an undeclared emergency in the tweet.

The party also posted a video of AICC General Secy Jairam Ramesh, showing what he said in response to a question on I-T officials visiting the BBC's Delhi office.

The visuals of the BBC office in Delhi being raided can be seen in the above link.

The raid or the 'survey' as it is being called come even after the Supreme Court had on Friday dismissed a plea seeking to impose a complete ban on the BBC in India after the BBC documentary on Prime Minister's role in the 2002 Gujarat riots. 

The BBC has two offices in Mumbai – one at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and another one at Khar. The IT officials were present at the BKC office premises. As per reports, employees at BBC’s Khar office were asked to go home.

According to media watchers, the raids were expected after the BBC published a documentary detailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's role in the 2002 Gujarat riots. The two-episode documentary titled India: The Modi Question was released just a year before India goes to polls to possibly elect Modi for a third term.

The documentary reported that Modi was "directly responsible" for the "climate of impunity" that enabled the violence.

Soon after the first episode was released, the Indian government issued blocking orders to Youtube and Twitter, however it wasn't effective as netizens found ways to work around the ban. It showcased the futility of trying to ban online content and drew more attention to the documentary.

The government blocked links to the first episode of the documentary on YouTube and Twitter using the emergency blocking provision of the controversial Information Technology Rules 2021.

Foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said India: The Modi Question lacked objectivity and was propaganda.

The BBC said it was "committed to highlighting important issues from around the world". It added that the Indian government was offered a right to reply, but they declined.

Income tax surveys in Mumbai were still on at 7.30pm. Four computers have also been seized.