NEW DELHI: The earnings tax departments survey operations at the India workplaces of UK civil service broadcaster BBC invited sharp condemnation from the media fraternity with both global and domestic journalistic bodies revealing concern that the intimidation tactics would harm the nations image and reputation as a democracy.
On the one hand, while BBC said that it was totally complying with the authorities and hoped that the circumstance will be solved as quickly as possible , media bodies described the crackdown as a direct consequence of the British broadcasters questionable two-part documentary, India: The Modi Question, on PM Narendra Modi and the 2002 Gujarat riots.New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) advised the Indian government to stop pestering reporters.
Indian authorities have utilized tax examinations as a pretext to target crucial news outlets in the past, and need to stop bothering BBC staff members right away, in line with the worths of freedom that need to be embraced worldwides largest democracy, CPJ said.Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontieres called the searches by the tax authorities an outrageous reprisal that followed the controversial documentary, while Amnesty International said the I-T department was being consistently weaponised to silence dissent .
In New Delhi, both Editors Guild of India and the Press Club of India described the studies as intimidation strategies that threatened to undermine constitutional democracy.
Indicating repeated harassment of media organisations that were vital of the federal government, the Editors Guild said the surveys by the I-T department remain in continuation of a pattern of utilizing federal government firms to daunt and bug press organisations that are critical of federal government policies or the judgment facility .
The Guild required that governments make sure that such examinations are conducted within the prescribed guidelines which they do not deteriorate into instruments of harassment to frighten independent media .
The Press Club, meanwhile, said it was deeply worried and distressed that such an action on an international broadcasting network will harm the credibility and image of India as the biggest democracy in the world .
We interest the federal government to limit its agencies from misusing their powers in order to daunt the media and put curbs on the freedom of the press, a PCI declaration stated.