Indian-origin BBC board member Shumeet Banerji resigns, cites 'governance issues'

Shumeet Banerji, an Indian-origin subordinate of the BBC’s board, has resigned, citing "governance issues" astatine the apical of the corporation. Banerji besides said successful a missive that helium was "not consulted" astir the events starring up to the resignations of Director General Tim Davie and BBC News main enforcement Deborah Turness.Banerji confirmed his resignation connected Friday, the BBC said successful a statement.The resignations of Davie and Turness earlier this period followed backlash implicit a Panorama occurrence that edited parts of US President Donald Trump’s 2021 speech, giving the content that Trump had made a nonstop telephone for convulsive enactment during the Capitol riot connected January 6 2021. In the programme, Trump appeared to say: "We're going to locomotion down to the Capitol...

and I'll beryllium determination with you. And we fight. We combat similar hell.

" The BBC has apologised for the mistake but refused Trump’s request for fiscal compensation.Banerji’s departure comes arsenic the BBC committee is owed to springiness grounds to the Culture Media and Sport Committee of MPs connected Monday. Questions are expected astir claims, archetypal raised successful a leaked document, that the BBC has "systemic issues" successful its sum of topics specified arsenic the Israel-Gaza struggle and reporting connected enactment and gender.

Banerji joined the BBC committee arsenic a non-executive manager successful 2022. He was tasked with "upholding and protecting the independency of the BBC by acting successful the nationalist involvement and exercising autarkic judgement," according to the corporation’s website. He is laminitis of an advisory and concern steadfast specialising successful exertion companies and antecedently led absorption consultancy Booz & Company.The BBC’s 12-member committee sets the strategical absorption for the corporation, mostly funded by licence-fee payers, and holds enforcement absorption to account.

It is chaired by Samir Shah.A BBC spokesperson said: "Shumeet Banerji contiguous notified the BBC Board of his resignation. Mr Banerji's word connected the Board arsenic a non-executive manager was owed to extremity astatine the extremity of December and we convey him for his service. The hunt for a replacement is already good nether mode and we volition update further successful owed course."