I-T survey on BBC offices: 'One day there will be no media in India', Mamata Banerjee compares BJP to Hitler

The Income Tax department's action came weeks after the broadcaster aired a two-part documentary, ''India: The Modi Question'', on the prime minister and the 2002 Gujarat riots.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday described as "very unfortunate" the Income Tax department's survey on BBC India's offices and alleged that it is political vendetta of the BJP-led central government.

The Income Tax department's action came weeks after the broadcaster aired a two-part documentary, ''India: The Modi Question'', on the prime minister and the 2002 Gujarat riots.

"It is very unfortunate; it is political vendetta of the BJP government," Banerjee said at her chamber in the West Bengal assembly. Such actions affect freedom of the press, she said alleging that the saffron party is controlling the media.

"One day there will be no media in the country.... They (BJP leaders) don't care about people's mandate, their only mandate is dictatorship. (They are) more than Hitler," she said. The tax department had begun the survey on Tuesday at the BBC's Delhi and Mumbai offices along with at least two linked premises as part of an investigation into alleged tax evasion against the British broadcaster in India. The operation continued on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the IT survey operation against the BBC India continued for the second day with the sleuths understood to be making copies of electronic and paper-based financial data of the organisation, officials said Wednesday. The tax department had launched the action on Tuesday at the BBC's Delhi and Mumbai offices along with at least two linked premises as part of an investigation into alleged tax evasion against the British broadcaster in India. The survey is being carried out to investigate issues related to international taxation and transfer pricing of BBC subsidiary companies, officials had said on Tuesday.

It is worth mentioning that 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, came weeks after the broadcaster aired a two-part documentary,'India: The Modi Question', on the prime minister and the 2002 Gujarat riots.