The Congress on Tuesday took a swipe at the government over the Income Tax survey operation at the BBC offices, saying while they are demanding a JPC on the Adani issue it is after the BBC, reports PTI.
The Income Tax Department on Tuesday conducted a survey operation at the British Broadcasting Corporation's (BBC) offices in Delhi and Mumbai as part of a tax evasion investigation, officials said.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also used a Hindi idiom to attack the government, saying "Vinash Kale, Vipreet Buddhi" (When doom approaches, a person's intellect works against his interest).
"Here we are demanding JPC on the Adani issue but the government is after the BBC. Vinash Kale Viprit Buddhi," Ramesh said.
As part of a survey, the Income Tax 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 development, Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said the IT raid at BBC's offices "reeks of desperation and shows that the Modi government is scared of criticism".
"We condemn these intimidation tactics in the harshest terms. This undemocratic and dictatorial attitude cannot go on any longer," he said in a tweet.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti slammed the government saying, “Cause & effect of raids on the BBC Office is quite obvious. GOI is brazenly hounding those who speak the truth. Be it opposition leaders, media, activists or anyone else for that matter (sic)”.
Twitter/@MehboobaMufti
“The gloves are off and there is a price one pays for fighting for truth,” Mufti added.
Trinamul Congress MP Mahua Moitra, meanwhile, took a jibe at the government, saying, “Reports of Income Tax raid at BBC’s Delhi office. Wow, really? How unexpected… Meanwhile, farsaan seva for Adani (Adani is served a Gujarati snack) when he drops in for a chat with Chairman @SEBI_India office. (sic)”
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that the “surveys” were a declaration of a “vaicharik aapatkal” (ideological emergency).
While tweeting an image of news reports on the I-T “surveys”, the social media head of the Bharata Rashtra Samithi (BRS), Y Sathish Reddy, said “Modi gift to BBC”.
The action by the IT Department comes weeks after the broadcaster aired a two-part documentary -- "India: The Modi Question".
I-T officials told news agency PTI the ‘surveys’ were part of a “tax evasion investigation”, and that officials were looking at documents related to the business operations of the company.
Earlier in the day, in an media interview, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, “These people are after Modiji since 2002. But every time Modiji has come out clean and become more popular.” Shah was responding to a question on whether he saw the Adani controversy erupting right after the BBC documentary as a conspiracy.
