The British government’s recently revealed plan to crack down on migrants has now sparked a major controversy within the BBC. Presenter and former England football captain Gary Lineker was taken off the air by a UK broadcaster after he drew parallels with Nazi Germany. However this decision forced the BBC to end most of its sports coverage on Saturdays as presenters refused to work.
“We are working hard to resolve the situation and hope to do so soon,” the broadcaster assured in a statement.
Lineker was suspended from ‘Match of the Day’ – a popular highlights show – earlier this week after comparing the British government’s new plan on illegal immigration to the rhetoric of Nazi Germany. This development has since drawn sharp criticism from politicians, sports personalities, news anchors and countless others. Their colleagues have also chosen to show solidarity, with many presenters refusing to work on Saturday.
While the BBC is committed to being politically neutral, its efforts to counter Lineker have prompted accusations of bias. Meanwhile, some Conservative leaders have praised the broadcaster.
Read also: ‘No exceptions, all illegal immigrants will be deported,’ Sunak warned.
The Linekar controversy has pitted the government against one of the country’s most high-profile and popular sports presenters.
“The BBC is not acting impartially by bowing to Tory MPs complaining about Gary Lineker,” Labor leader Keir Starmer told reporters at a conference in Wales on Saturday.
PM Sunak said in a statement, “I hope that the current situation between Gary Lineker and the BBC can be resolved in time, but this is a matter right for him, not the government.”
(with inputs from agencies)
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