A spokesperson of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has labeled the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) as the “most corrupt organization in the world” amidst a drive at BBC’s offices as part of an investigation by income tax authorities of the country.
BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia made the remarks today, saying, “India is a country which gives an opportunity to every organization, as long as you don't spew venom.”
He also said that the searches were legal and that the timing had nothing to do with the government, reports BBC.
Earlier today, the country’s Income Tax department officials conducted searches at BBC’s offices in New Delhi, reports Associated Press.
The search was conducted a few weeks after a controversial documentary about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's involvement in the 2002 anti-Muslim riots was released.
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Last month, India banned the two-part documentary, titled "India: The Modi Question," and authorities scrambled to halt screenings and restrict social media clips of the program, which critics and political opponents decried as an assault on press freedom.
The documentary was described as a "propaganda piece designed to push a particularly discredited narrative" that lacked objectivity by India's Foreign Ministry.