Calling the tax raids on Dainik Bhaskar and Bharat Samachar an attempt to scare the media, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday demanded that such actions be stopped immediately and the media be allowed to work freely.

The Income Tax Department on Thursday conducted raids against the Dainik Bhaskar group and the Uttar Pradesh-based Hindi news channel Bharat Samachar in multiple cities over alleged tax evasion, official sources said.

Reacting to the raids, Kejriwal tweeted, "Income tax raids on Dainik Bhaskar and Bharat Samachar are an attempt to scare the media. The message is clear -- those who speak against the BJP government will not be spared. Such thinking is very dangerous. Everyone should raise their voice against it. These raids should be stopped immediately and the media should be allowed to work freely."

The searches against Dainik Bhaskar are being conducted in Bhopal, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Noida and some other locations in the country.

The premises of the Uttar Pradesh-based news channel Bharat Samachar and its promoters and staffers were raided in Lucknow, sources said.

There was no official word from the Income Tax Department or its policy-making body, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), on the raids.