BBC India: MPs call Delhi and Mumbai searches 'intimidation'

Armed guards were stationed outside the BBC's office in Delhi

British MPs have described searches of the BBC's offices in India by tax authorities as "intimidation".

Some staff were subjected to overnight questioning when premises in Delhi and Mumbai were targeted last week.

The BBC, which is cooperating with the investigation, recently aired a documentary critical of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the UK.

Foreign Office minister David Rutley said the government was following the matter closely.

Labour shadow minister Fabian Hamilton said "criticism cannot be shut down unnecessarily" in a democracy during a Commons debate on Tuesday.

The Labour MP expressed concern about the motive behind the India searches "regardless of the official narrative as to why they took place".

He continued: "The BBC is a globally respected broadcaster rightly renowned for its high-quality, trustworthy reporting, it should be free to report and operate without intimidation."

The DUP's Jim Shannon described the searches as "a deliberate act of intimidation following the release of an unflattering documentary about the country's leader".

He called on the government to summon the Indian High Commission over the issue.

Conservative Sir Julian Lewis also described the searches as "extremely worrying".

Foreign Office minister David Rutley declined to comment on the matter directly but added: "Respect for the rule of law is an essential element of an effective democracy, so too is an independent media and freedom of speech."

The India government has been strongly critical of the documentary about Narendra Modi

The documentary India: The Modi Question focused on the prime minister's role in anti-Muslim violence in Gujarat in 2002, when he was chief minister of the state.

India's government has called it "hostile propaganda" and attempted to block it being aired domestically, including by detaining Delhi students at a screening.

A BBC spokesperson said: "The income tax authorities have left our offices in Delhi and Mumbai. We will continue to cooperate with the authorities and hope matters are resolved as soon as possible.

"We are supporting staff - some of whom have faced lengthy questioning or been required to stay overnight - and their welfare is our priority. Our output is back to normal and we remain committed to serving our audiences in India and beyond.

"The BBC is a trusted, independent media organisation and we stand by our colleagues and journalists who will continue to report without fear or favour."

India Central Board of Direct Taxes claimed to have gathered "crucial evidence" and found "several discrepancies and inconsistencies" after the raid.

It said in a statement: "The department gathered several evidences pertaining to the operation of the organisation which indicate that tax has not been paid on certain remittances which have not been disclosed as income in India by the foreign entities of the group."