BBC offices in India searched after Modi documentary

Crowds gathered outside the BBC's New Delhi offices on Tuesday as Indian tax officers searched the broadcasters' bureaus there and in Mumbai. The move comes as the government cracks down on streaming and sharing a BBC documentary critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his role in deadly riots in 2002. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson last month dismissed the program as propaganda. We think this is a propaganda piece designed to push a particular discredited narrative. The bias, a lack of objectivity and frankly a continuing colonial mindset is blatantly visible. Last month more than a dozen students were detained in the capital for trying to screen the film. The program is called India, the Modi Question and it focuses on the Hindu nationalist politician's leadership as chief minister of the western state of Gujarat in February 2002.

Riots at the time left at least a thousand people dead, most of them Muslims. Activists say the number is more than double that. During his career, Modi has been dogged by accusations he didn't do enough to stop the rioting. He's always denied wrongdoing. Government critics decried the tax-related search of the BBC. An opposition politician said it reeks of desperation and shows that the Modi government is scared of criticism. Modi's party, the BJP, said Indian institutions worked independently and the tax department was within the law in looking into tax compliance.

As well as India's opposition, media rights advocates have also condemned Tuesday's searches and Britain's Foreign Office said it was keeping a close eye on reports. Meanwhile, online searches for India Narendra Modi documentary surged globally in the wake of Tuesday's news. As for the BBC, it said it's standing by its reporting, cooperating with tax officials and remains committed to serving audiences in India.

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