BJP slams BBC's 'venomous' reporting on India, says I-T department should be allowed to do its work

The BJP on Tuesday accused the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) of unleashing "venomous" reporting against India and alleged that its propaganda and the Congress' agenda go together.

Reacting to the Congress’s charge against an undeclared emergency after raids in the office of the BBC, the BJP said that the BBC should not be allowed to “spew venom” and that the Income Tax department should be allowed to do its work.

The party fielded spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia to tackle the backlash it faced after IT sleuths landed at the KG Marg office of the British broadcasting giant, a month after it released a two-part documentary questioning the role of Narendra Modi in the 2002 Gujarat riots when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. The government said that the IT officials landed at the BBC’s offices at Delhi and Mumbai to carry out a “survey” and not a raid.

“BBC stands for ‘Bhrasht Bakwaas Corporation’ (corrupt, rubbish corporation). The Income Tax Department must be allowed to do its work, if BBC has nothing to hide, why is it rattled,” Bhatia said. “The BBC indulges in anti-India propaganda. India is a country which gives an opportunity to every organisation as long as you do not spew venom,” he said.

Bhatia also slammed the Congress for criticising the government’s action. “The Congress should remember that former prime minister Indira Gandhi, too, had banned BBC,” Bhatia said.

Party MP Rajyavardhan Rathore also took to Twitter to remind the Congress that it was founded by a British. “Congress, which was founded by AO Hume, is British in nature. It seems the British handed the responsibility of expanding BBC's divisive agenda to the Congress. Those talking about Emergency and press freedom should look at themselves in the mirror,” Rathore tweeted.

The remarks came soon after Income Tax officials surveyed the British broadcaster's offices in Mumbai and Delhi.

Also Read: Income Tax officials 'survey' BBC office in Delhi, Opposition slams 'scared' govt

The BJP leader further claimed that BBC has a "tainted and black history of working with malice against India".

He cited its past reports, including the one which described a terrorist as a "charismatic young militant" and allegedly called Holi a "filthy" festival. It works in India, but has little regard for its constitution, he said.

At a time when India is marching ahead globally under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, there are many powers which do not like it, Bhatia said, claiming that the Congress, its leader Rahul Gandhi and other opposition parties also feel the "pain" at the country's rise.

Accusing the opposition Congress of supporting "anti-national" forces, he said, "Your hate for Modi is so much that you politicise even a probe agency's work. You always question constitutional authorities like the Supreme Court and the Election Commission."

The Congress on Tuesday took a swipe at the government over the Income Tax survey operation at the BBC offices, saying while they were demanding a JPC on the Adani issue, the Centre is after the BBC.

The Income Tax Department on Tuesday conducted a survey operation at BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai as part of a tax evasion investigation, officials said.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also used a Hindi idiom to attack the government, saying "Vinash Kale, Vipreet Buddhi" (when doom approaches, a person's intellect works against his interest).

"Here we are demanding JPC on the Adani issue, but the government is after the BBC. Vinash Kale Viprit Buddhi," Ramesh said.

A recent BBC series on 2002 Gujarat riots has come in for criticism from the ruling BJP in India, with the government blocking access to it on social media platforms.

(With PTI inputs)