'Diversion, Suppression, Political Vendetta’: How Opposition Targeted BJP Govt Over BBC Tax Survey

The Opposition on Wednesday lambasted Narendra Modi led BJP government over Income Tax Department survey at BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai .

Among the key opposition leaders who described the incident as government move to “supress” the fourth pillar of democracy, include TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and PDP head Mehbooba Mufti.

Here is what they said:

'It is akin to suprressing voice of people': Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said media is the fourth pillar of democracy and suppressing its voice is akin to suppressing the voice of the public.

His comments came a day after the Income Tax department carried out a survey operation at British Broadcasting Corporation's (BBC) offices in Delhi and Mumbai. The operation was conducted as part of an investigation into alleged tax evasion, according to officials. 

"Media is the fourth pillar of democracy and an attack on its freedom is similar to suppressing the voice of public. Whosoever speaks against the BJP, these people deploy CBI, ED and I-T behind him," Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.  

"Does the BJP want to crush the country's democratic system and institutions and turn the entire country into its slave?" he said. 

The action, which sparked a sharp political debate with the ruling BJP accusing the BBC of "venomous reporting" and the opposition questioning the timing of the move, comes weeks after the broadcaster aired a two-part documentary "India: The Modi Question" on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the 2002 Gujarat riots. 

Meanwhile, the Income Tax department survey operation against the BBC India continued for the second day on Wednesday with the sleuths understood to be making copies of electronic and paper-based financial data of the organisation, officials said.

'It is diversion from Adani fraud': Mehbooba Mufti

Criticising the ongoing anti-encroachment drive, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti accused the BJP-led Centre of using Jammu and Kashmir to divert attention of the country from pressing issues such as unemployment and the Adani row.

"To divert the attention from the Adani issue and the damage it has done to the economy of the country, they (BJP) don't get anything better than Jammu and Kashmir, like demolition drive," Mehbooba told reporters here.

Asked about Union Home Minister Amit Shah's comments about the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, the former chief minister said, "They do not make statements, they make jumlas."

"He himself said the promises of two crore jobs and Rs 15 lakh in every bank account were election jumla (rhetoric)," she said.

Mehbooba said Shah was the first home minister in the history of independent India who turned a state into a Union territory.

On the demolition drive, she said the BJP earlier used to brand the people of Jammu and Kashmir as anti-nationals but has now started labelling them as encroachers.

"Land in JK belongs to the people of JK. I urge the people to take control of their land, be it through mohalla committees or panchayats.... Earlier they used to call us anti-nationals, now it is encroachers. We are not encroachers," she said.

The PDP president alleged that the administration was carrying out anti-people measures to keep people "so busy that they don't have time to think about anything else".

"But they should realise that there is a sentiment here ... people want to resolve the issue on the terms of equality. You cannot jail that sentiment,” she said.

Asked if her party's alliance with the BJP after the 2014 assembly elections was a mistake, Mehbooba said her father took the decision after carefully considering it.

"My father took a very well thought-out decision. He wanted to prevent this situation. Till we had a coalition government, nothing like this had happened. After the government fell, they repealed Article 370 and took other steps,” she said.

The PDP president said people can criticise her as they have a right to do so.

On the proposal to make Hindi language compulsory in all schools in Jammu and Kashmir, she said the Centre should try this in southern India first.

“They are not able to do anything in the south but in Jammu and Kashmir they are doing everything.... They have silenced the people. We have nothing against Hindi but our language is Urdu. If they have the courage, let them do it in the south first,” she added.

'BJP government's political vendetta': Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday described as “very unfortunate” the Income Tax department’s survey on BBC India’s offices and alleged that it is political vendetta of the BJP-led central government.

The Income Tax department’s action came weeks after the broadcaster aired a two-part documentary, "India: The Modi Question", on the prime minister and the 2002 Gujarat riots.

“It is very unfortunate; it is political vendetta of the BJP government,” Banerjee said at her chamber in the West Bengal assembly. 

Such actions affect freedom of the press, she said alleging that the saffron party is controlling the media.

"One day there will be no media in the country.… They (BJP leaders) don’t care about people’s mandate, their only mandate is dictatorship. (They are) more than Hitler,” she said. 

The tax department had begun the survey on Tuesday at the BBC's Delhi and Mumbai offices along with at least two linked premises as part of an investigation into alleged tax evasion against the British broadcaster in India. The operation continued on Wednesday.

(With PTI inputs)