Report fearlessly: BBC director-general to India staff after tax 'survey'
What's the story
Days after the tax "survey" at the BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai, the global media giant's director-general, Tim Davie, wrote an email to its staff in India, asking them to report without fear or favor. Davie thanked the staff for their bravery and said that BBC would help them perform their duties safely and effectively, as nothing is more important than unbiased reporting.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The Income Tax Department raided the BBC offices earlier this month, just weeks after the Centre banned the controversial BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, branding it colonial propaganda. I-T officials claimed the "survey" was part of a tax evasion probe. A right-wing Hindu Sena's president Vishnu Gupta had also petitioned the Supreme Court to prohibit the BBC in India, which was rejected.
Statement
BBC has no agenda, focused on independent journalism: Davie
In the email, Davie asserted that the BBC doesn't have an agenda and is driven to provide impartial information to help people better understand and engage with the world around them. He said that the BBC won't be put off from its duty to produce and deliver the best creative content to its audiences around the world through independent journalism.
Details
Agencies alleged discrepancy in BBC's tax return
I-T sleuths spent three days surveying the BCC's offices in India after the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) allegedly found discrepancies in its I-T returns. The department said that the BBC didn't pay tax on certain remittances by not disclosing them as income. The government said the action was against "deliberate non-compliance with the Transfer Pricing Rules and its vast diversion of profits."
Devices
I-T sleuths searched for documents with keywords 'black money', 'benami'
It was also reported that the officials scanned BBC staff's devices and collected documents and digital records containing keywords such as tax, black money, and benami—a term that refers to the purchase of a property by concealing the buyer's identity. The survey lasted for nearly 60 hours during which the officials reportedly cloned the phones, desktops, and laptops of many senior BBC staffers.
Documentary
All about the BBC documentary
The two-part BBC documentary titled India: The Modi Question delves into Modi's approach toward the Muslim community. The first episode focuses on Modi's rise and his role as the state's Chief Minister during the 2002 Gujarat riots, which left over 2,000 dead. The second part assesses India's social climate, such as the spate of mob lynchings by cow vigilantes since he became prime minister.