Responding to BBC's income tax survey, West Bengal CM Banerjee says "There will not be any media left in country"

Kolkata, Feb 16: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday (Feb 15) termed the Income Tax survey at the BBC's offices in Delhi and Mumbai as "very unfortunate" and slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for "running a political vendetta" stating that the action against the broadcaster has affected the freedom of the press.

 

 

 

 

Banerjee further said that one day there will be no media left in the country. "It is very unfortunate. BJP is running the government with a political vendetta. It's not only affecting the freedom of the press, there will be no media left in the country. Media is already controlled by them. I am sorry to say the media cannot raise their voice, their management will just cut their service within 24 hours. This is their controlling power," said Banerjee. Comparing the BJP to Hitler, the Chief Minister said BJP's only mandate is a dictatorship, (they are) more than Hitler.

 

 

 

 

 

"I am abided by the mandate of the people. Where is their (BJP) mandate? They don't care about the people's mandate. BJP's only mandate is a dictatorship, (they are) more than Hitler. My sympathy and my support with media and BBC," she said. She further alleged that BJP wants to capture the judiciary also adding that the judiciary must be neutral as only the judiciary can save this country. "Sometimes they have said against the judiciary also and they want to capture the judiciary also. But we want judiciary must be neutral...only judiciary can save this country," she added. The income tax (I-T) department on Wednesday (Feb 15) continued its survey at the offices of the BBC in Delhi and Mumbai for the second day, sources say.

 

 

On Tuesday, the I-T department conducted a survey at BBC's offices in Delhi and Mumbai in view of the British public broadcaster's "deliberate non-compliance" with the Transfer Pricing Rules and its vast diversion of profits. Yesterday, the sleuths arrived at the BBC offices located at the national capital's KG Marg and Mumbai's Kalina Santacruz for the survey. In the case of the BBC, sources said there has been persistent non-compliance with the above-mentioned rules for years. As a result of the same, several notices have been issued to the BBC. However, the BBC has been continuously defiant and non-compliant and has significantly diverted its profits, sources said.