British govt keeps tabs; BBC says fully cooperating

New Delhi, February 14

The UK Government has taken note of the reports of tax surveys conducted at the offices of BBC and said they were “closely monitoring’’ it. BBC News too said it was cooperating with the Income Tax Department while the reaction in the British civil society was on expected lines.

“The income tax authorities are currently at the BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai and we are fully cooperating,” said a BBC statement. The UK Government also took note of mobile phones of the employees being taken away by the income tax team as well as some staffers being prevented from leaving or entering the office. Officials said the phones would be returned after taking backups.

Income tax officials said the survey was being carried out to investigate issues related to international taxation and transfer pricing of BBC subsidiary companies, and alleged that the BBC had been served notices in the past but was “defiant and non-compliant” and had significantly diverted its profits.

Noting that the “Indian Government had appointed India as the ‘Mother of Democracy’ and plastered posters across every inch of the country proclaiming that”, PTI quoted academic Mukulika Banerjee as stating, “They really need to understand that this is what press freedom looks like. And stop its shameful harassment of the BBC.” The UK-based South Asia Solidarity Group called the survey a “blatantly vindictive move, which made it clear that the Modi government would attack all those who criticised Narendra Modi, the BJP and those close to them”.

But the Global Hindu Federation supported the action.