BBC raid: Days after Income Tax officials conducted ‘surveys’ at British Broadcasting Company’s (BBC) Delhi and Mumbai office, the UK government has defended the media organisation. During a Parliament debate on Tuesday, the UK govt said that broadcaster’s editorial freedom is vitally important, as it condemned the raids conducted by the Indian government. UK is very proud of its press freedom, the govt had said during the debate.
‘We stand up for BBC’: UK govt
“We stand up for the BBC, we fund the BBC, we think the BBC World Service is vitally important. We want the BBC to have that editorial freedom,” Tory MP David Rutley said, noting that the BBC criticises the Conservative Party and the Labour Party.
“That freedom is key, and we want to be able to communicate its importance to our friends across the world, including the government in India,” he added. UK and India share a “broad and deep relationship” and this particular issue had been raised with the government, he said.
Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader JIM Shannon had called the raid “a deliberate act of intimidation following the release of an unflattering documentary about the country’s leader.”
Labour MP Fabian Hamilton said that it was worrying that the staff had to stay overnight during the raid.
“In any democracy, the media must have the ability to criticise and scrutinise political leaders without fear of repercussions, and that clearly applies in this situation,” he added.
ICYMI: BBC says Income Tax Department officials misbehaved with its journalists during ‘survey’
‘Media must be able to work without fear’
Britain’s first turbaned Sikh MP, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi also praised the freedom of press in the UK as he said ‘media ,must ne able to work without dear or favour.
“Proud of our #PressFreedom and amazing journalists holding to account UK Govt and all parties. Many worried that in #India, a nation with shared democratic values, they conducted raids on #BBC offices after a documentary airing.Media must be able to work without fear or favour,” he tweeted.
Surveys were conducted at BBC’s India offices by the Income-Tax department citing issues to international taxation and transfer pricing of BBC subsidiary companies.
Also read: S Jaishankar Reacts On BBC Docuseries On PM Modi
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