Income tax raids at Dainik Bhaskar Media group offices

New Delhi : Income Tax raids took place on the offices of Dainik Bhaskar media group and a UP based news channel on Thursday morning. The media houses have been alleged of evading taxes.

Nearly 100 taxmen conducted raids at different offices of Dainik Bhaskar in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The homes and offices of the channel's promoters were also raided in the process.

An Uttar Pradesh television channel, Bharat Samachar has also been raided by the Income Tax Officers. An Income Tax team searched the Lucknow office and also the editor's home to examine tax documents, according to sources.

The sources claimed the raids were based on "conclusive evidence of tax fraud" by the channel. Bharat Samachar's recent reporting has been critical of the UP government.

Meanwhile, the Opposition parties have called it a conspiracy as the channels' reporting was critical against the ruling government over the COVID mismanagement.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called it a brutal attempt to stifle democracy.

"Through its reporting Dainik Bhaskar has exposed the Modi regime's monumental mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now paying the price. An Undeclared Emergency as Arun Shourie has said - this is a Modified Emergency," tweeted Congress leader Jairam Ramesh.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot called it a brazen attempt to suppress the voice of the media.