New Delhi, February 14: The Press Club of India has condemned the IT raids on the offices of BBC in New Delhi and Mumbai.
In a strongly-worded statement issued on Tuesday, the PCI said the raids are part of series of attacks on the media by the government agencies in recent times especially against those that the government perceives is hostile to it and critical of the ruling establishment.
“It is deeply unfortunate as this latest instance appears to be a clear cut case of vendetta, coming within weeks of a documentary aired by the BBC on the Gujarat riots. This IT raid is nothing but a sledge-hammer blow on press freedom ” the release stated.
The release further stated that this documentary which appears to be immediate provocation for the raids, has already been banned on YouTube and other social media platforms.
“We are deeply concerned and distressed that such an action on an international broadcasting network will damage the reputation and image of India as the largest democracy in the world,” the PCI press release stated.
The PCI has appealed to the government to restrain its agencies from misusing their powers in order to intimidate the media and put curbs on the freedom of press.
EOM
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