I-T department raids Uttar Pradesh news channel 'Bharat Samachar'

Income tax sleuths on Thursday raided the offices of 'Bharat Samachar', an Uttar Pradesh-based news channel.

According to sources, the I-T sleuths also raided the residences of the channel's chief editor Brijesh Mishra, its state head Virendra Singh and other employees.

Sources said that raids were also conducted on members of the channel's board, in Jaunpur and Basti districts in the state.

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The Channel said that I-T teams raided its office at Hazratganj area in Lucknow in the morning. Simultaneous raids were conducted on Mishra's residence at Vipul Khand in Gomti Nagar area and its state head Virendra Singh's residence at Janakipuram area in the city.

While Mishra termed the raids 'persecution', several opposition leaders also slammed the IT raids and termed them an attempt to muzzle the voices which 'exposed' the alleged misdeeds of the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state.

''The channel is being punished for showing the truth and exposing the BJP,'' said former UP minister and president of the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) Om Prakash Rajbhar.