A few income tax (I-T) officials on Thursday, 11 October, conducted a 22-hour-long raid ending on Friday morning at the office of Quintillion Media Pvt Ltd in Noida, which runs the website The Quint, and is owned by Raghav Bahl.
According to the I-T official leading the team, they are conducting a “search” on one floor of the office, and a “survey” on the other. Simultaneous raids were carried out at Bahl's residence and The News Minute's office.
Journalists from across the country condemned the raid – terming it “intimidation” – and demanded that the government “explain” the reasons behind the same. They termed it an “attack on the freedom of press.”
After Income Tax Department raids on Raghav Bahl's home and offices of Quint in Noida, survey on the office of NewsMinute, Enforcement Directorate raids on Greenpeace India and Direct Dialogue Initiatives in Bengaluru, who is next on the list? Do you see the pattern?
I.T raids on @TheQuint offices and its founder @Raghav_Bahl home are cause for serious concern. Taxman has the right to ask all questions, but raids look like intimidation. If there is justification, govt must explain quickly. Or it will be seen as targeting critical media.
Former journalist and politician Ashutosh and advocate Prashant Bhushan claimed that Bahl was targeted for “criticising the Modi government.”
After Pranoy Roy, now @Raghav_Bahl is targeted. Raghav is one of the most credible media personalities. Now he is paying the price for being anti-establishment, criticising Modi Govt.
No doubt that Quint & Raghav Bahl are being raided by the IT Dept only because they have been critical of the govt & in order to intimidate the media. IT, ED & CBI are being misused by this govt like never before https://t.co/S8OteLrpdU
If you read @Raghav_Bahl articles over the last few months, you would understand why this attack on @TheQuint
And they say this is not emergency? https://t.co/4fyUcNv8lWIT raids on political opponents & critical media houses is the style of Sahab & company. Attempts to silence any kind of opposition. Yesterday it was AAP Minister, today it is The Quint. Speak up before they come for you!!! High time people.
Senior journalist and NDTV India editor Ravish Kumar, too, condemned the raids. In a Facebook post, he said:
अकबर की ख़बर रोको, आयकर छापे की लाओ, कुछ करो,जल्दी भटकाओआप अकबर की ख़बर को लेकर फेसबुक पोस्ट और यू ट्यूब वीडियो को...
Senior journalist and India Today's Consulting Editor Rajdeep Sardesai asked if the government was targeting ‘non-godi' media.
Deeply troubling news! Will the IT be transparent and ensure due procedure? Or is this a targeting of the ‘non-godi' media? @Raghav_Bahl @TheQuint https://t.co/1dkCagF5sM
‘Beyond Outrageous, Should Be Legally Challenged'
The I-T officers during raids at Bahl's residence attempted to clone data from Ritu Kapur's gadgets. This is not authorised under the powers of the survey. Journalists termed this action an attack on press freedom, calling it beyond “outrageous.”
Apparently India is taking a leaf out of Erdogan's style guide... https://t.co/yx8ed9KqgM
This is beyond outrageous and should be challenged legally and through professional/public platforms. There ought to be clear limits on what a vindictive government can do to interfere with the work of independent media professionals. https://t.co/163JQ1rFl7
More power to @Raghav_Bahl, @kapur_ritu, and the entire @TheQuint team. On the face of it, this is an attack on #PressFreedom. Cloning Kapur's journalistic work is a gross violation of journalistic freedom.
The income tax raid on The Quint and its associates is an outright assault on the freedom of the press. It is nothing but an attempt to intimidate all media, especially online journalism, in an election year. #UndeclaredEmergency #IndiraGandhiZindaHai
Founder of The Quint Raghav Bahl has said tax officials are raiding the offices of his media company & he has asked them to desist from confiscating hard discs or documents containing material for publishing purpose.Raghav has said his company is totally tax compliant.
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