BJP slams BBC\'s \'venomous\' reporting on India

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Tuesday accused the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) of unleashing "venomous" reporting against India and alleged that its propaganda and the Congress' agenda go together.

The remarks came soon after Income Tax officials surveyed the British broadcaster's offices in Mumbai and Delhi.

Addressing a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia rejected the Congress' criticism of the Income Tax (I-T) action and said the government agency should be allowed to do its job.

Hitting out at the London-headquartered public broadcaster, he said BBC is the "most corrupt" organisation in the world, adding that the Congress should remember that the then prime minister Indira Gandhi had also banned the broadcaster.

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. It works in India, but has little regard for its constitution, he said.

At a time when India is marching ahead globally under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, there are many powers which 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."

The Congress on Tuesday took a swipe at the government over the Income Tax survey operation at the BBC offices, saying while they were demanding a JPC on the Adani issue, the Centre is after the BBC.

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.

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.

A recent BBC series on 2002 Gujarat riots has come in for criticism from the ruling BJP in India, with the government blocking access to it on social media platforms.