The Police officials also brought NewsClick editor Prabir Purkayastha, writers Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, and Urmilesh to the special cell offices in the national capital.
Meanwhile, leaders from various political parties responded to the raids conducted by the Delhi Police at different locations associated with NewsClick.
China Funding Row: Journalists linked to NewsClick raided by cops in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad
Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur defended the police action against NewsClick, stating that if anyone has committed wrongdoing, investigative agencies have the freedom to conduct inquiries within established guidelines. Thakur said, “I don’t need to justify… If anyone has committed anything wrong, search agencies are free to carry out investigations against them under set guidelines.
However, opposition parties quickly criticized the police action, alleging that the central government was targeting journalists. RJD leader and MP Manoj Jha asserted that these raids on NewsClick were being carried out under the direction of the central government. He criticized the Delhi Police’s role and implied political influence, stating that “They are under Home Minister Amit Shah, and nothing takes place without his consent.”
Congress leader Pawan Khera described the police action as the Centre’s tactic of distraction, suggesting that it was intended to divert attention from other issues. “The early morning raids on contributing journalists at NewsClick comes as fresh distraction from the explosive findings of caste census in Bihar and the growing demand for caste census across the country. When he faces questions from out of syllabus, he resorts to the only counter he has in his predictable syllabus – DISTRACTION” the Congress leader posted on X.
The BJP, on the other hand, argued that the investigation against NewsClick was already in progress, and the police were acting in accordance with the law. BJP leader RP Singh stated that strict actions would be taken against those receiving foreign funds and working against India’s interests.
The raids are being conducted based on a case registered on August 17 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including promoting enmity between two groups and criminal conspiracy.
Earlier, on August 10, a report in the New York Times had alleged that NewsClick was part of a global network funded by American billionaire Neville Roy Singham, who is known for supporting far-left causes and is linked to the Chinese government’s media machine.
(With inputs from agencies)