Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Feb 14: The Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson, Gaurav Bhatia on Tuesday said that British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the most corrupt organisation which is unleashing malicious reporting against India.
The remarks from the BJP came shortly after the Income Tax officials surveyed the British broadcaster’s offices in Mumbai and Delhi. Addressing a press conference in the national capital, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia rejected the Congress’ criticism of the Income Tax action and said the government agency should be allowed to do its job.
Hitting out at the London-headquartered public broadcaster, the BJP leader said that the BBC is the most corrupt organisation, calling it the most ‘Bharsht Bakwaas Corporation’ in the world and further alleged that its propaganda and the Congress’ agenda go together, adding that the Congress should remember that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had also banned the broadcaster in the her time.
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.
At a time when India is marching ahead globally under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, there are many sections that 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.”
On the other hand, the Congress on Tuesday took a swipe at the government over the IT survey operation at BBC offices, saying while they were demanding a JPC on the Adani issue, the Centre is after the BBC.
Notably, 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. The surprise action comes weeks after the broadcaster aired a two-part documentary, “India: The Modi Question”.
Reacting to it, the BBC said the Indian income tax authorities were at its offices in New Delhi and Mumbai and the British public broadcaster was fully cooperating with them.
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.