BBC ‘fully co-operating’ as offices raided by India tax officials after documentary on PM Narendra Modi

Officials from India’s Income Tax department began conducting searches on Tuesday at the BBC’s offices in the capital, New Delhi.

It comes weeks after the British broadcaster released a controversial documentary that examined prime minister Narendra Modi’s role during 2002 anti-Muslim riots.

Teams from the tax department surveyed the BBC’s Delhi and Mumbai offices, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, quoting officials who were not identified.

India banned the two-part documentary India: The Modi Question last month and authorities scrambled to halt screenings of the programme and restrict clips of it on social media in a move that critics and political opponents decried as an assault on press freedom.

A BBC Spokesperson told Morning Wire: “The Income Tax Authorities are currently at the BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai and we are fully cooperating.

“We hope to have this situation resolved as soon as possible.”

Press Association –  Associated Press