Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: The BBC in India will not be deterred from reporting without fear or favour, said director general Tim Davie in an email to employees in India.
Tax officials searched the BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai. Davie thanked the staff for their bravery, saying that nothing was more important than reporting objectively. The BBC, which is assisting in the investigation, recently broadcast a documentary critical of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Indian government labeled it “hostile propaganda” and attempted to prevent it from being broadcast in the country. Davie stated that the BBC would assist employees in performing their duties effectively and safely.
DG BBC India’s email
He said in the email that nothing is more important than our ability to report without fear or favor. Our responsibility to our global audiences is to pursue the truth through independent and impartial journalism, as well as to create and distribute the best creative content. We will not be deterred from completing that task. He went on to say that he wanted to be clear: the BBC does not have an agenda; we are driven by purpose. And our first public purpose is to provide unbiased news and information to assist people in understanding and engaging with the world around them.
Tax officials conducted a “survey” at the BBC headquarters for three days. India’s Central Board of Direct Taxes said it had found “discrepancies and inconsistencies” as well as information proving “that tax has not been paid on certain remittances which have not been disclosed as income in India by the foreign entities of the group”. Opposition MPs in the United Kingdom described the raids as “intimidation” and “deeply concerning” earlier this week. A Foreign Office minister would not remark on the allegations by India’s income tax department but said “we are still following the matter closely”.
