Reuters Published October 3, 2023
Indian police raided the office of a news portal and the homes of journalists and writers linked to it on Tuesday as part of an investigation into suspected illegal foreign funding of the media company, two government officials said.
Laptops and mobile phones were taken away as part of the investigation into the media company NewsClick, the officials and some of the journalists said.
NEWSCLICK IS A LEFT WING MEDIA SITE
“A special investigations team launched a search operation to identify all those individuals who were possibly getting funds from overseas to run a media group with the main agenda of spreading foreign propaganda,” said an official in the interior ministry overseeing the raids by the Delhi Police.
The raids were part of an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate, India’s financial crime agency, into suspected money laundering by NewsClick, the official said.
Another ministry official said the raids were conducted at more than a dozen homes of journalists and some other writers linked to NewsClick.
“We have not arrested anyone and the search operations are still underway,” the second official said.
Both of the officials declined to be identified as they are not authorised to speak to the media. A Delhi Police spokesperson said he was not in a “position to comment, as of now”.
NewsClick officials were not immediately available for comment. It says on its website says it is an independent media organisation launched in 2009 dedicated to covering news from India and elsewhere with a focus on “progressive movements”.
Officials said the investigation began after a New York Times report in August named NewsClick as part of a global network receiving funds from American billionaire Neville Roy Singham, allegedly to publish Chinese propaganda.
NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha said at the time the allegations were not new and the organisation would respond to them in court.
The Press Club of India said it was deeply concerned about the raids.
India has fallen to 150th in the World Press Freedom Index, an annual ranking by non-profit Reporters Without Borders, from 140th last year, its lowest ever.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government rejects the group’s findings, questioning its methodology, and says India has a vibrant and free press.
“A special investigations team launched a search operation to identify all those individuals who were possibly getting funds from overseas to run a media group with the main agenda of spreading foreign propaganda,” said an official in the interior ministry overseeing the raids by the Delhi Police.
The raids were part of an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate, India’s financial crime agency, into suspected money laundering by NewsClick, the official said.
Another ministry official said the raids were conducted at more than a dozen homes of journalists and some other writers linked to NewsClick.
“We have not arrested anyone and the search operations are still underway,” the second official said.
Both of the officials declined to be identified as they are not authorised to speak to the media. A Delhi Police spokesperson said he was not in a “position to comment, as of now”.
NewsClick officials were not immediately available for comment. It says on its website says it is an independent media organisation launched in 2009 dedicated to covering news from India and elsewhere with a focus on “progressive movements”.
Officials said the investigation began after a New York Times report in August named NewsClick as part of a global network receiving funds from American billionaire Neville Roy Singham, allegedly to publish Chinese propaganda.
NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha said at the time the allegations were not new and the organisation would respond to them in court.
The Press Club of India said it was deeply concerned about the raids.
India has fallen to 150th in the World Press Freedom Index, an annual ranking by non-profit Reporters Without Borders, from 140th last year, its lowest ever.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government rejects the group’s findings, questioning its methodology, and says India has a vibrant and free press.
Indian opposition to boycott ‘hate-filled’ cable news anchors
AFP
AFP
Published September 15, 2023
Indian opposition parties have pledged to boycott several television news anchors they accuse of spreading hate and of partisanship towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government.
Activists and rights groups have sounded the alarm on press freedoms since Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took office in 2014.
Opposition politicians have accused India’s clamorous cable news shows of being in thrall to the BJP’s agenda, including polarising segments on Muslim and Christian minorities.
“We do not want to legitimise this hate-filled narrative which is corroding our society,” Congress party spokesman Pawan Khera said in a Thursday video statement.
“We will not partake in these showrooms of hate.”
Congress is in an alliance of more than two dozen parties that are hoping to provide a unified alternative to the BJP ahead of national elections next year.
Modi’s party is widely expected to win.
The opposition bloc said its members would not appear on the programmes of 14 anchors, including some of India’s most popular TV news personalities.
Raucous and combative debate programmes are a staple of Indian cable news, with sometimes a dozen or more panellists battling onscreen for a sliver of attention.
Opposition parties have long accused networks of failing to adhere to basic standards of impartiality and of unfairly casting their activities in a negative light.
Sudhir Chaudhary of broadcaster Aaj Tak, one of those named in the boycott, ridiculed the alliance for lashing out at hosts who “refused to lick their boots”.
But he also cautioned that the refusal of opposition lawmakers to face critical questions had put news outlets in a “dangerous situation”.
“Indian media should now respond to this with full force and unity,” he added.
Since Modi took office, India has slipped 21 places in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) global press freedom ranking and is now 161st out of 180 surveyed countries.
Journalists who do report critically on the government often find themselves behind bars and hounded on social media by supporters of the BJP, which has established itself as India’s dominant political force by championing Hindu identity.
Indian tycoon Gautam Adani, a long-time associate of the prime minister, last year secured a majority stake in broadcaster NDTV, until then seen as the last major critical voice on television.
RSF described the takeover as signalling “the end of pluralism in the mainstream media”.
Amit Malviya, a politician in charge of the BJP’s social media outreach, said the boycott reflected positively on the anchors it targeted.
“They should wear it as a badge of honour,” Malviya posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“More power to them. “
Indian opposition parties have pledged to boycott several television news anchors they accuse of spreading hate and of partisanship towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government.
Activists and rights groups have sounded the alarm on press freedoms since Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took office in 2014.
Opposition politicians have accused India’s clamorous cable news shows of being in thrall to the BJP’s agenda, including polarising segments on Muslim and Christian minorities.
“We do not want to legitimise this hate-filled narrative which is corroding our society,” Congress party spokesman Pawan Khera said in a Thursday video statement.
“We will not partake in these showrooms of hate.”
Congress is in an alliance of more than two dozen parties that are hoping to provide a unified alternative to the BJP ahead of national elections next year.
Modi’s party is widely expected to win.
The opposition bloc said its members would not appear on the programmes of 14 anchors, including some of India’s most popular TV news personalities.
Raucous and combative debate programmes are a staple of Indian cable news, with sometimes a dozen or more panellists battling onscreen for a sliver of attention.
Opposition parties have long accused networks of failing to adhere to basic standards of impartiality and of unfairly casting their activities in a negative light.
Sudhir Chaudhary of broadcaster Aaj Tak, one of those named in the boycott, ridiculed the alliance for lashing out at hosts who “refused to lick their boots”.
But he also cautioned that the refusal of opposition lawmakers to face critical questions had put news outlets in a “dangerous situation”.
“Indian media should now respond to this with full force and unity,” he added.
Since Modi took office, India has slipped 21 places in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) global press freedom ranking and is now 161st out of 180 surveyed countries.
Journalists who do report critically on the government often find themselves behind bars and hounded on social media by supporters of the BJP, which has established itself as India’s dominant political force by championing Hindu identity.
Indian tycoon Gautam Adani, a long-time associate of the prime minister, last year secured a majority stake in broadcaster NDTV, until then seen as the last major critical voice on television.
RSF described the takeover as signalling “the end of pluralism in the mainstream media”.
Amit Malviya, a politician in charge of the BJP’s social media outreach, said the boycott reflected positively on the anchors it targeted.
“They should wear it as a badge of honour,” Malviya posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“More power to them. “
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