Attack on press freedom is akin to suppressing people’s voice: Kejriwal on I-T surveys at BBC offices

New Delhi, Feb 15 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said media is the fourth pillar of democracy and suppressing its voice is akin to suppressing the voice of the public.

His comments came a day after the Income Tax department carried out a survey operation at British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) offices in Delhi and Mumbai. The operation was conducted as part of an investigation into alleged tax evasion, according to officials.

“Media is the fourth pillar of democracy and an attack on its freedom is similar to suppressing the voice of public. Whosoever speaks against the BJP, these people deploy CBI, ED and I-T behind him,” Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.

“Does the BJP want to crush the country’s democratic system and institutions and turn the entire country into its slave?” he said.

The action, which sparked a sharp political debate with the ruling BJP accusing the BBC of “venomous reporting” and the opposition questioning the timing of the move, comes weeks after the broadcaster aired a two-part documentary “India: The Modi Question” on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Meanwhile, the Income Tax department survey operation against the BBC India continued for the second day on Wednesday with the sleuths understood to be making copies of electronic and paper-based financial data of the organisation, officials said.