Guwahati: The Editors Guild of India has expressed deep concern over the recent Income Tax surveys conducted at the offices of BBC India, saying it was a continuation of a trend of using government agencies to intimidate and harass media outlets critical of the ruling establishment.
The Guild demanded that due care and sensitivity be shown in all such investigations, so as to not undermine the rights of journalists and media organisations.
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The IT survey came soon after the release of two documentaries by the BBC on the 2002 Gujarat violence and on the current status of minorities in India.
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The government, the Guild noted, had criticised the BBC for “wrong and prejudiced reportage” and had attempted to ban online access and viewing of the films in India.
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The Guild recalled that similar IT surveys were conducted in 2021 at the offices of NewsClick, Newslaundry, Dainik Bhaskar and Bharat Samachar.
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In each case, it said, the raids and surveys were against the backdrop of critical coverage of the government established by the news organisations.
The Guild reiterated its earlier demand that governments ensure that such investigations are conducted within the prescribed rules and that they don’t become instruments of harassment to intimidate independent media.