Following Income Tax raids at BBC India offices in Delhi and Mumbai, the Opposition parties hit out at Narendra Modi government at the Centre calling it a revenge step for releasing documentary critical of Prime Minister of India over 2002 Gujarat riots.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ranjeeta Ranjan said, “The country is being run like a dictatorship, no body is allowed to question the government. We have raised the demand for JPC into Adan issue, but the government is not in a mood to listen.”
Prima facie the it surveys on BBC appear to have malafide intentions. BBC documentary should be seen at its own merit. Independence of press shall be maintained. This is an attack on democracy,” said party spokesperson Dr Sunil Singh.
The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Saurabh Bhardwaj said that the raids are an old tactics of BJP and the Opposition is already a victim of it.
“Since our childhood, BBC has been synonymous with news. The raids on BBC are an old BJP tactics. The Centre has removed all pretense and became an object of ridicule globally. If you don’t like BBC documentary, then go to court. If they are not adopting legal methods, then it means government knows that what BBC documentary shows is true. The central government is resorting to dictatorship and not ready to listen criticism. This step has raised questions on the credibility of the Prime Minister,” said Saurabh Bhardwaj.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JDU has also strongly criticised the government over the raids.
CPIM leader Fuad Halim said, This shows that they (govt) is scared, they are trying to suppress facts they are trying to use agency for this. It shows that the documentary is not far from the truth but the truth. The Centre should now answer why they are doing this.”
JDS leader Tanveer Ahmed said, “The cat is out of the bag. The IT raid is nothing but witch hunt on the part of Union govt. Amit Shah is day dreaming about winning Karnataka. BJP will come third in the state.”
