New Delhi: As the Income Tax department conducted surveys at the Delhi and Mumbai offices of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on Tuesday, the media organisation issued a fresh mail for the employees.
In the mail, BBC has asked all its employees to cooperate with the tax officials and answer their questions comprehensively.
The mail read, “All employees to cooperate in the ongoing surveys’. All employees should support IT survey officials and answer their questions comprehensively.”
It further stated, “Employees can refrain from answering questions on personal income if asked so. They should answer other salary-related queries.”
The fresh mail said that only those working in the broadcast department need to come to the office, while others may continue to work from home.
“Only the broadcast department to come to office, other employees to continue working from home,” it read.
The Income Tax department conducted surveys at the Delhi and Mumbai offices of the British broadcaster, alleging “deliberate non-compliance with transfer pricing rules and its vast diversion of profits” by BBC.
BBC released a statement on Tuesday, saying “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.”
Giving an update on the situation, the British broadcaster tweeted, “The Income Tax Authorities remain at the BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai. Many staff have now left the building, but some have been asked to remain and are continuing to cooperate with the ongoing enquiries.”
An update on the situation in India. pic.twitter.com/FYVFwdQWxE
— BBC News Press Team (@BBCNewsPR) February 14, 2023
“We are supporting our staff during this time and continue to hope to have this situation resolved as soon as possible. Our output and journalism continues as normal and we are committed to serving our audiences in India,” the spokesperson further stated.
The I-T department’s action comes barely a few weeks after the BBC released a documentary on PM Narendra Modi and the 2002 Gujarat riots. The documentary, titled ‘India: The Modi Question’ was banned almost immediately by the government.