ISLAMABAD/NEW DEHLI: Indian tax authorities raided the Mumbai and New Delhi offices of BBC on Tuesday, weeks after the British broadcaster aired a documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s role in the deadly sectarian riots of 2002.
The Police sealed off the New Delhi office, which occupies two floors, deploying half a dozen personnel outside to prevent people from entering or leaving.
A BBC employee in New Delhi shared with AFP that the tax raid was underway and that officials were also confiscating cell phones. A Police official at the scene said: “There is government procedure happening inside the office.”
Another Mumbai-based staffer of BBC confirmed that the broadcaster’s office in India was also being raided. The income Tax Department of India could not be reached for comment.
BBC accused Modi of violence in 2002
The previous month, the broadcaster aired a two-part documentary alleging that Hindu nationalist Modi ordered police to turn a blind eye to sectarian riots in Gujarat state, of which he was the chief minister in 2002. The violence killed at least 1,000 people, mostly minority Muslims.
Indian government blocked tweets and videos sharing links of the BBC documentary using its emergency powers under information technology laws. — APP
