Editorial freedom is necessary: UK strongly defends BBC after I-T survey at Delhi, Mumbai workplaces

The UK authorities defended the BBC after the Income-Tax survey on BBC India workplaces and stated the problems have been raised with India.

New Delhi,UPDATED: Feb 22, 2023 09:52 IST

Pedestrians stroll previous a BBC emblem at Broadcasting House in London (Photo: Reuters)

By India Today Web Desk: Per week after the Income Tax officers ‘surveyed’ BBC workplaces in Delhi and Mumbai for practically 59 hours, the UK authorities, throughout a Parliament debate on Tuesday, strongly defended the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and stated the broadcaster’s editorial freedom is vitally necessary and points associated to the “raids” have been raised with the Indian authorities. It was additionally stated through the debate that the UK could be very pleased with its press freedoms.

“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 stated, 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 stated, responding to questions on the raid and freedom of expression in India. Rutley additionally stated the UK and India had a “broad and deep relationship” and this explicit concern had been raised with the federal government.

Jim Shannon, of Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), had kicked off the talk saying the “raid” was “a deliberate act of intimidation following the release of an unflattering documentary about the country’s leader”.

Labour MP Fabian Hamilton, then again, stated it was significantly worrying that the BBC workers had been compelled to remain of their workplaces in a single day and have confronted prolonged questioning. “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.

Also, Britain’s first turbaned Sikh MP, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, was one among those who raised questions on the Income-Tax survey on BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai. During a question hour session, the British Sikh MP said, “We within the UK are very pleased with our press freedoms and certainly are accustomed to the BBC and different respected media retailers for holding to account in a devastating method the UK authorities, its prime minister and opposition events.”

Proud of our #PressFreedom and superb journalists holding to account UK Govt and all events.
Many nervous that in #India, a nation with shared democratic values, they performed raids on #BBC workplaces after a documentary airing.

Media should be capable to work with out worry or favour. pic.twitter.com/xUeVxmyC7P
— Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP (@TanDhesi) February 21, 2023

He added, “That’s why many of us were so concerned that in India, a nation with which we have shared values of democracy and press freedoms, they decided to conduct raids on BBC offices after their airing of a documentary which was critical of the Indian prime minister’s actions.”

The BBC India workplaces have been surveyed by the Income-Tax division over points associated to worldwide taxation and switch pricing of BBC subsidiary corporations. The cell phones and laptops of staff have been scanned through the survey that lasted three days.

After the survey ended, the BBC in an announcement stated it will proceed to report with out worry or favour.

Meanwhile, the tax authorities have alleged varied tax-linked irregularities in opposition to the London-headquartered firm and accused it of utilizing “dilatory tactics” through the course of the survey.

The Income-Tax division additionally stated the revenue and income proven by varied BBC group entities are “not commensurate” with the dimensions of their operations in India and tax has not been paid on sure remittances by its international entities.

Published On:

Feb 22, 2023