The DIGIPUB News India Foundation, a group formed by digital-only media organisations, condemned the surveys conducted by the Income Tax Department at the offices of Independent and Public-Spirited Media Foundation (IPSMF), Centre for Policy Research (CPR) and Oxfam India on Wednesday calling it an "assault" on independent journalism.
In a statement signed by chairperson and editor-in-chief of The News Minute, Dhanya Rajendran, and general secretary and co-founder of Newslaundry, Abhinandan Sekhri, DIGIPUB said, "This is a brazen waste of human resources and of the efforts of government officials who have joined the service to add value to India's administrative mechanism. It is an insult to their abilities to be used as political tools."
The organisation sought clarification from the Income Tax Department on why these three organisations were raided and pointed out this was not the first time that such a raid was conducted on independent media organisations.
"Without any clarity on allegations or evidence, Income Tax teams are being used to intimidate and harass organisations involved in public service journalism. This is a brazen waste of human resources and of the efforts of government officials who have joined the service to add value to India's administrative mechanism. It is an insult to their abilities to be used as political tools," the statement read.
The Income Tax Department surveys were carried out at the offices of the CPR and Oxfam India in Delhi, and the IPSMF in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
The Indian Express reported that this was part of surveys carried out nationwide. The report said that over 100 locations were surveyed in Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand.
DIGIPUB said that all the organisations it mentioned in its statement were important for democracy. "Their research and reports highlight data that provide valuable insights into vital socio-economic issues," it said.
It criticised the survey saying it only showed "how petrified our government is of independent media". The statement said, "Any attack on independent journalists is a threat to freedom of press in our country."
While the IPSMF is a public charitable trust that provides financial support for independent journalism, the CPR is an independent public policy think tank. Oxfam India is a confederation charitable trusts.