BBC after I-T ‘survey’: ‘Stand by journalists who report without fear or favour’

The tax department’s action came weeks after the British broadcaster had on January 17 released a documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots titled “India: The Modi Question”

Scenes outside the BBC's office in Delhi during the Income Tax department's survey. (Express Photo)

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The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Thursday said it stood beside its journalists “who will continue to report without fear or favour”, as the Income Tax Department ended its three-day ‘survey’ of the media organisation’s offices in Delhi and Mumbai. The BBC said its priority was the welfare of its staff, who faced “lengthy questioning” by authorities or were “asked to stay overnight”. It said its output was “back to normal”, and that it remained “committed to serving” its audiences in India.

Government officials have said the surveys were conducted in view of the BBC’s “deliberate non-compliance with the transfer pricing rules” and its “vast diversion of profits”. Officials added that the focus of the surveys on BBC was to look into “manipulation of prices for unauthorised benefits, including tax advantages”. They alleged BBC has been non-compliant under transfer pricing rules; persistent and deliberately violative of transfer pricing norms. It deliberately diverted a significant amount of profits, and did not follow the arm’s length arrangement in the case of allocation of profit, they claimed.

Also Read | The Express View on I-T ‘Survey’ of BBC offices: The Daylight Knock

“The Income Tax Authorities have left our offices in Delhi and Mumbai. We will continue to cooperate with the authorities and hope matters are resolved as soon as possible. We are supporting staff – some of whom have faced lengthy questioning or been required to stay overnight – and their welfare is our priority. Our output is back to normal and we remain committed to serving our audiences in India and beyond,” the BBC said in a statement Thursday night.

Update on India: pic.twitter.com/rghvE6OpfQ

— BBC News Press Team (@BBCNewsPR) February 16, 2023

It added, “The BBC is a trusted, independent media organisation and we stand by our colleagues and journalists who will continue to report without fear or favour.”

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The tax department’s action comes weeks after the British broadcaster had on January 17 released a documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots titled “India: The Modi Question”.

On January 20, the central government ordered YouTube and Twitter to take down links sharing the documentary, with officials saying it was found to be “undermining the sovereignty and integrity of India” and had “the potential to adversely impact” the country’s “friendly relations with foreign states” and “public order within the country”.

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