The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) condemns the searches conducted by the Income Tax department of the BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai. This is a blatant attempt to intimidate and harass the television channel for having telecast the documentary, `The Modi Question’.
It is a standard tactic of the Modi government to intimidate the Indian media through raids conducted by the Income Tax department and other agencies. This has now been extended to a foreign media enterprise operating in India.
This coercive action will further reinforce internationally the image of the Modi government as an authoritarian regime which seeks to suppress media criticism.