Targeting BBC would shed bad light on Indian government at global platform: Ashok Gehlot

Ashok Gehlot also demanded that the government must explain the reason behind the searches in BBC offices. The chief minister made the remarks while talking to reporters at Kota airport.

Hitting out at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government over several issues including the survey conducted by the income tax (IT) department at BBC office in Delhi and its studio in Mumbai, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said targeting BBC would shed a bad light on the Indian government at world platform.

Pointing out the credibility of the international news organisation, CM Gehlot SAID,''What is the credibility of BJP? It is one thing to make a government but it has become a common thing now to stage riots based on religion and caste.''

He also demanded that the government must explain the reason behind the searches in BBC offices. The chief minister made the remarks while talking to reporters at Kota airport.

"It is beyond comprehension...the way Income Tax department, CBI and Enforcement Directorate conducting raids, what they (NDA) want," Gehlot said, adding these central agencies should have been impartial and independent.

"Now BBC has been targeted. It has credibility across the world," Gehlot said.

"Reason must be given to the country when they (NDA) have targeted the organisations like BBC and take the people in confidence on it, otherwise the government as well as the country would be defamed in the world," Gehlot said.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi making fun over a goof-up during Gehlot's budget presentation in the state assembly, the CM said entire Rajasthan was defamed in the country for a minor human error of reading two paras of previous budget only for 34 seconds.

At a rally in Rajasthan's Dausa on Sunday, PM Modi had picked on a blunder at the Rajasthan Budget presentation Friday, when Gehlot mistakenly read portions of the last year's budget in the assembly.