 "NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha")
Online website NewClick, whose founder-editor Prabir Purkayastha was arrested under the contentious Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), has said that it does not propagate Chinese propaganda as claimed by investigators.
Condemning the actions of the Narendra Modi-led central government, the website said that the government "treats criticism as sedition or anti-national" activity.
In a statement, it has said that NewsClick is an independent news website whose journalistic content is based on the "highest standards of the profession" and that it "does not take directions" from Neville Roy Singham, who has provided funds, regarding content.
It made it clear that all funding received by NewsClick has been through appropriate banking channels and has been reported to relevant authorities as required by the law. It is substantiated by the Reserve Bank of India in proceedings before the High Court of Delhi, the website added.
NewsClick further said that the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing and Income Tax Department (I-T) had earlier raided its offices and the premises of its officials besides seizing digital devices but none of the agencies were able to file a charge sheet against it in the past two years.
The statement came as Delhi Police's Special Cell questioned 46 journalists and staffers linked to the portal and arrested Purkayastha and the HR head Amit Chakravarty under UAPA following allegations that it collected funds from abroad and ran Chinese propaganda.
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"A government that has not been able to substantiate any charges against NewsClick despite being in possession of all its information, documentation and communications, needed a motivated and bogus article published in the New York Times to invoke the draconian UAPA and attempt to shut down and stifle independent and fearless voices that portray the story of the real India – of peasants, of labourers, of farmers, and other oft-ignored sections of society," it said.
Emphasising that all journalistic content published on the website is available on the internet, it said the Special Cell of Delhi Police has not referred to a single article or video that they consider to be Chinese propaganda.
"Indeed, the line of questioning adopted by the Special Cell regarding reportage on Delhi riots, farmers protests etc., all demonstrate the motivated and malicious intent behind the present proceedings. We have full faith in courts and the judicial process. We will fight for our journalistic freedom and our lives in accordance with the Constitution," it said.
NewsClick also said they have not been provided with a copy of the FIR, or informed about the exact particulars of the offences with which we have been charged.
"Electronic devices were seized from the Newsclick premises and homes of employees, without any adherence to due process such as the provision of seizure memos, hash values of the seized data, or even copies of the data. Newsclick's office has also been sealed in a blatant attempt at preventing us from continuing our reporting," it added.
It said the portal has been targeted by a series of actions by various agencies since 2021 and various agencies have raided its offices and residences of officials.
"All devices, laptops, gadgets, phones, etc. have been seized in the past. All emails and communications have been analysed under the microscope. All bank statements, invoices, expenses incurred, sources of funds received by NewsClick in the last several years have been scrutinised by different agencies of the government from time to time. Various directors and other related persons have spent countless hours on several occasions being interrogated by these government agencies," it said.
"Yet, in the last two plus years, the Enforcement Directorate has not been able to file a complaint accusing NewsClick of money laundering. The Economic Offences Wing of Delhi Police has not been able to file a charge-sheet against NewsClick for offences under the Indian Penal Code. The Income Tax Department has not been able to defend its actions before the Courts of law," it said.
Purkayastha has not even been called in for questioning by any of these agencies in the last several months, it said.
What is this case?
On Tuesday, Delhi Police personnel carried out raids in houses of several journalists associated with the news portal and seized a number of their electronic devices as evidence including laptops, mobile phones and hard disks.
This comes after the New York Times published an investigative report in August, alleging that NewsClick had received funds from US millionaire businessman Neville Roy Singham, who “sprinkled its coverage with Chinese government talking points”.
The report accused Singham of working closely with Beijing and of financing its propaganda internationally. This was especially controversial due to the longrunning border dispute between New Delhi and Beijing.
On August 17, days after the investigative report was published, Indian authorities registered a case against NewsClick and its journalists.
Singham and NewsClick rejected the charges. Purkayastha said at the time the allegations were not new and the website would respond to them in court.
