BBC controlled by people with bias against India: Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri

The Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri, criticised the BBC for an alleged agenda on India after the Income Tax department raided its offices in the country. Puri dismissed the British broadcaster’s allegations about freedom of the press, saying that India’s tax laws were transparent and applied equally to all. He suggested the BBC may be politically motivated, only highlighting specific issues that suited its agenda. In February this year, the Income Tax department conducted searches at the offices of the British broadcaster in New Delhi and Mumbai, in response to the controversial documentary it broadcast, India: The Modi Question. The government subsequently directed social media platforms to block links to the documentary, which questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role in the 2002 Gujarat riots. The film was criticised by the Indian government and several sections of the Indian public, largely accusing the broadcaster of spreading fake news and seeking to destabilise the country.