LONDON: The UK government has for the first time publicly defended the BBC since the outcry over its controversial documentary on Narendra Modi and the income-tax surveys conducted at its offices in India, with a representative saying repeatedly in the UK Parliament that it has taken up these issues with New Delhi.
“We stand up for the BBC. We fund the BBC. We think the BBC World Service is vitally important. We want the BBC to have that editorial freedom,” David Rutley, parliamentary under-secretary for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs, said in a House of Commons debate on Tuesday titled “Raid of BBC Offices in India”.
He said the UK has “wide-ranging conversations with the Indian government. These issues have absolutely been raised as part of those conversations”.
The UK government’s response came after MPs, drawn largely from the Opposition, condemned the hitherto silence of the Conservative government and asked what diplomatic steps had been taken to convey the UK government’s opposition to the “raids” and what steps were being taken to “protect the BBC World Service from intimidation”.
“It criticises us, it criticises the Labour party, and it has that freedom which we believe is vitally important,” Rutley said. “That freedom is key, and we want to be able to communicate the importance of that with our friends across the world, including the government in India,” he added, pointing out the BBC is “quite rightly operationally and editorially independent from” the UK government. He would not comment on the allegations made by India’s income tax department against the BBC but pointed out BBC is “cooperating with the Indian authorities to resolve this matter”.
The debate came about owing to an urgent question tabled by DUP MP Jim Shannon which asked the UK government to make a statement on the surveys of BBC offices in India, and allegations of tax evasion.
“No government statements have been issued, and it has taken an urgent question to encourage the government to condemn such a blatant attack on press freedoms,” Shannon said, asking “whether the government intend to summon the Indian high commissioner over this issue?”
Liberal Democrat MP Jamie Stone called on the government to “contact the United States and other democracies to put pressure on India to say that this is completely unacceptable behaviour”.
Labour MP Hilary Benn asked: “When we read that a spokesperson for the BJP described the BBC as the ‘most corrupt’ organisation in the world, is it not incumbent upon the government to stand up for the BBC and its integrity?”
Rutley said: “…Media freedom and freedom of speech are essential elements for robust democracies. We do believe that the BBC plays an important role. The FCDO funds four BBC language services in India: Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi and Telugu. It will continue to do so, because it is important to ensure that our voice — and an independent voice, through the BBC — is heard throughout the world. We believe it is vital for the BBC to have that independent voice and the reassurance that it can carry on its work. We need to ensure that our views on media freedom are communicated clearly with other governments.”
“We stand up for the BBC. We fund the BBC. We think the BBC World Service is vitally important. We want the BBC to have that editorial freedom,” David Rutley, parliamentary under-secretary for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs, said in a House of Commons debate on Tuesday titled “Raid of BBC Offices in India”.
He said the UK has “wide-ranging conversations with the Indian government. These issues have absolutely been raised as part of those conversations”.
The UK government’s response came after MPs, drawn largely from the Opposition, condemned the hitherto silence of the Conservative government and asked what diplomatic steps had been taken to convey the UK government’s opposition to the “raids” and what steps were being taken to “protect the BBC World Service from intimidation”.
“It criticises us, it criticises the Labour party, and it has that freedom which we believe is vitally important,” Rutley said. “That freedom is key, and we want to be able to communicate the importance of that with our friends across the world, including the government in India,” he added, pointing out the BBC is “quite rightly operationally and editorially independent from” the UK government. He would not comment on the allegations made by India’s income tax department against the BBC but pointed out BBC is “cooperating with the Indian authorities to resolve this matter”.
The debate came about owing to an urgent question tabled by DUP MP Jim Shannon which asked the UK government to make a statement on the surveys of BBC offices in India, and allegations of tax evasion.
“No government statements have been issued, and it has taken an urgent question to encourage the government to condemn such a blatant attack on press freedoms,” Shannon said, asking “whether the government intend to summon the Indian high commissioner over this issue?”
Liberal Democrat MP Jamie Stone called on the government to “contact the United States and other democracies to put pressure on India to say that this is completely unacceptable behaviour”.
Labour MP Hilary Benn asked: “When we read that a spokesperson for the BJP described the BBC as the ‘most corrupt’ organisation in the world, is it not incumbent upon the government to stand up for the BBC and its integrity?”
Rutley said: “…Media freedom and freedom of speech are essential elements for robust democracies. We do believe that the BBC plays an important role. The FCDO funds four BBC language services in India: Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi and Telugu. It will continue to do so, because it is important to ensure that our voice — and an independent voice, through the BBC — is heard throughout the world. We believe it is vital for the BBC to have that independent voice and the reassurance that it can carry on its work. We need to ensure that our views on media freedom are communicated clearly with other governments.”