New Delhi:

British organisations which are working in different nations should observe the legal guidelines of these nations, the UK’s high diplomat in India advised NDTV in the present day, days after Indian authorities investigated the BBC and Oxfam India for alleged violation of overseas funding guidelines.

The Enforcement Directorate has filed a case towards BBC India beneath the Foreign Exchange Management Act, which offers with how organisations in India can obtain funds from overseas.

The authorities are additionally investigating Oxfam India, an offshoot of the British-founded non-profit, after the federal government alleged the charity had violated overseas funding laws.

Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India, mentioned they’re conscious of those circumstances however cannot go into the particulars of the Oxfam India case.

“The UK is home to some of the globally respected institutions. BBC is one, which has to respect the laws of the country in which they are in. That’s clear,” Mr Ellis advised NDTV.

“I know that the Indian authorities have been talking to Oxfam and BBC. That’s for them to deal with. But the important thing is they respect the laws of the land,” he mentioned.

Investigators have alleged Oxfam India acquired Rs 1.5 crore straight into its ‘overseas contribution utilisation account’ as a substitute of the designated checking account between 2013 and 2016. They alleged Oxfam India has the attain and affect to request multilateral overseas organisations to intervene on its behalf with the federal government of India.

The grievance filed by the investigators with the Home Ministry additionally alleged Oxfam India routed Rs 12.71 lakh to the Centre for Policy Research, one other non-profit suppose tank, within the monetary 12 months 2019-20 in violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010.

When requested concerning the Oxfam India matter, Mr Ellis advised NDTV, “I am not going into the particulars of the case. Of course we talk to the Indian authorities about many issues. But I couldn’t say much more than that.”

The BBC in January ran a docuseries on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the 2002 Gujarat riots, titled “India: The Modi Question”. The authorities had strongly condemned the BBC collection as a “propaganda piece designed to push a discredited narrative” that shouldn’t be “dignified” with a response.

A month later, the earnings tax division surveyed the BBC and despatched its groups to the broadcaster’s places of work in Delhi and Mumbai over allegations of irregularities in taxes, diversion of income and non-compliance with guidelines.

During the survey, senior BBC staffers needed to keep within the workplace in a single day to reply to questions.