IT raids on BBC: Why is the timing significant?

New Delhi: The Income Tax department officials continued their search at BBC offices across three locations in Delhi and Mumbai for the second day on Wednesday despite opposition and condemnation from Congress-led opposition and media watchdogs.

Although the Modi government and its preceding governments have taken such steps against various media outlets, including the infamous ban on BBC in 1970 and 1975-77 by late prime minister Indira Gandhi, the IT raids on BBC are huge in the current scenario.

The media landscape has completely changed from what it was in the 70s and the stakes now are much higher than ever before.

Conducting raids on a global media organisation, which is operating in India for close to a century, was not easy.

There could have been a lot of backlash from countries across the globe in a year when India is hosting the G20 summit.

However, the timing of the IT raids on BBC was such that no leader of any major country commented on India’s action. Not even the United Kingdom government.

Instead, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was happy with a multi-billion-pound deal by Airbus and Rolls-Royce to supply new aircraft to Air India.

Sunak called the deal a landmark moment for the country’s aerospace sector and reiterated his commitment to continue building ties with India, exactly when IT sleuths were searching BBC India offices.

At the same time, French President Emmanuel Macron was attending an online meeting with PM Modi when the Air India-Airbus deal was announced.

Soon, US President Joe Biden was seen gloating over the Air India-Boeing deal as he told Modi over the phone that this deal will create a million jobs in 44 states across the United States.

Later in the day, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said, "We're aware of the facts of these searches, but I'm just not in a position to offer a judgement."

When asked by journalists if this action went against some of the spirit or value of democracy, Price said, "I couldn't say.”

This raises the question – were the raids timed in a manner to minimise the impact or damage?

Just a day before both houses of the Parliament were adjourned for a month following the ruckus created by opposition parties. One can imagine the noise inside the Parliament following the raids which already witnessed a stormy session over the Hindenburg-Adani row.

Although the opposition parties had planned to attack the government over the ban on the BBC documentary on PM Modi, the government found a safe passage on this issue.

The most important aspect of the timing of the IT raids was the signing of the Air India-Airbus-Rolls-Royce deal and the Air India-Boeing deal worth over Rs 6.4 lakh crore ($80bn).

Given the sensitivity of the matter, the Income Tax department is expected to issue a statement regarding their findings soon after their searches.