Shumeet Banerji Resigns from BBC Over Governance Controversy

Indian-origin tech investor Shumeet Banerji resigned from the BBC's board, citing governance issues related to a documentary edit of Trump’s speech. The controversy led to top officials resigning and an apology from chairman Samir Shah. Banerji was a non-executive director responsible for protecting BBC's independence.

Indian-origin tech industry investor Shumeet Banerji has stepped down from his position as a non-executive board member of the BBC, citing "governance issues" at the top tier of the UK public broadcaster. His resignation was announced Friday amid ongoing turmoil within the British Broadcasting Corporation concerning the edit of former US President Donald Trump's 2021 speech for a documentary.

The edited segment, which led to the resignation of high-ranking BBC officials and prompted an apology from chairman Samir Shah, reportedly gave the misleading impression that Trump had directly incited violence on the January 6 US Capitol riot. In his resignation letter, Banerji mentioned that he was "not consulted" on the events leading up to these departures, highlighting a lack of communication and oversight.

As an independent director, Banerji's role included ensuring the BBC's independence and decision-making was in the public interest. Banerji's resignation occurs while questions are being posed in Parliament regarding the governance practices of the publicly funded broadcaster. The board is under scrutiny, as Shah and other board members are scheduled to testify before the House of Commons' Culture, Media and Sport Committee.

(With inputs from agencies.)