New Delhi: British foreign minister James Cleverly today, March 1, raised the issue of Income Tax officials’ surveys at the offices of the British Broadcasting Corporation in New Delhi and Mumbai, during a bilateral meeting with India’s external affairs minister S. Jaishankar. India has reportedly responded with the line that all entities within the country must comply with Indian laws.This is the first time that the UK government has publicly mentioned the surveys at this level. Cleverly noted that he mentioned the surveys in an interview to separate interviews to news agencies Reuters and ANI.Sources in the Ministry of External Affairs said that the UK foreign secretary did bring up the BBC tax issue with the external affairs minister today. “He was firmly told that all entities operating in India must comply fully with relevant laws and regulations,” the source said.The searches came after the Narendra Modi government responded with a social media block to a documentary made by BBC about Prime Minister Modi’s role during the Gujarat riots of 2002. The government also called it a “propaganda” piece and a BJP spokesperson described BBC as the “most corrupt” organisation in the world.In the interview to Reuters, Clebery said that he did raise the matter of the income tax ‘survey’ on BBC with the Indian counterpart due to their “strong” ties. “One of the advantages of having such a strong and professional relationship with Dr. Jaishankar is I am able to bring up, and indeed he brings up with me, some of these sensitive issues. I did raise it with him.”He did not share any more details. “The conversations I had with him are best to keep with him.”Similarly, he told ANI that the matter had been raised, stating that the BBC was an “independent” media group. “I didn’t see the documentary but I have seen reactions in UK and India. BBC is an independent organisation and separate from government. I enjoy a strong personal relationship with Dr Jaishankar.. relationship between UK-India growing stronger by the day,” noted Cleverly.Earlier, a UK minister had defended the BBC during a parliamentary debate on February 21.“We stand up for the BBC, we fund the BBC, we think the BBC World Service is vitally important,” said David Rutley, a Conservative MP who is the Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.He added that it was important for the national broadcaster to have editorial freedom, and in the UK the BBC was known for being critical of both prominent parties.Rutley had indicated last month that the matter had been raised through diplomatic channels. “It is because of our broad and deep relationship with India that we are able to discuss a wide range of issues in a constructive manner with its Government. As part of those conversations, this issue has been raised and we continue to monitor the situation. He asks important questions about the BBC staff”.The Indian external affairs minister had also publicly also raised questions about BBC’s reliability, claiming that the timing of the documentary on the Gujarat riots was “not accidental” and was related to politics.“If you say I am a humanist and must get justice for people who have been done wrong, this is politics at play by people who don’t have the courage to come into the political field,” he told ANI.The former career diplomat-turned-politician noted that the BBC documentary was not about freedom of speech but politics. “There is a phrase called ‘war by other means’. This is politics by other means”.He stated that BBC had not focused on the 1984 anti-Sikh violence which followed Indira Gandhi’s assassination. “You want to make a documentary, many things happened in Delhi in 1984. Why didn’t we see a documentary on that?”. However, as per a fact check by The Wire, BBC has not just commissioned documentaries on 1984, but also continuously reported on its victims and lack of justice over the years.