Journalist bodies condemn raid on news portal

New Delhi: Various organisations representing the interests of journalists condemned the Delhi Police raids on news portal NewsClick and its scribes on Tuesday, with some claiming that it was an attempt to "muzzle" press freedom.

Through a post on 'X', the Press Club of India said it was deeply concerned about the raids on the houses of journalists and writers associated with NewsClick.

"We are monitoring the developments and will be releasing a detailed statement. The PCI stands in solidarity with the journalists and demands the government to come out with details," it added.

The Press Club of India is deeply concerned about the multiple raids conducted on the houses of journalists and writers associated with #Newsclick.

We are monitoring the developments and will be releasing a detailed statement.

— Press Club of India (@PCITweets) October 3, 2023

Expressing concerns over the police action on the journalists of the news portal, the DIGIPUB News India Foundation said, "They have been detained, their phones and laptops seized. This is another instance of the government's pattern of arbitrary and intimidatory behaviour. We are keeping an eye on developments."

In a separate statement, the National Alliance of Journalists, the Delhi Union of Journalists and the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (Delhi unit) condemned the police raids.

It said the residences of Bhasha Singh, Urmilesh, Prabir Purkayastha, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Teesta Setalvad, Abhisar Sharma, Aunindyo Chakraborty, Mahesh Kumar, Subodh Varma, Aditi Nigam, Mukund Jha and many others were raided this morning.

The statement claimed that several of the mediapersons were also taken into custody.

The Delhi Police's Special Cell on Tuesday searched 30 locations connected with the online news portal and its journalists in a case filed under the anti-terror law UAPA following allegations that it received money for pro-China propaganda.

Some journalists, including Urmilesh and Abhishar Sharma, were taken to the Lodhi Road Special Cell office but no one has been arrested so far in the searches concentrated in the Delhi-NCR region, officials said. Founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha was taken to the NewsClick south Delhi office.

The Enforcement Directorate had earlier conducted raids at the firm's premises to probe its sources of funding. The Special Cell is now continuing the searches on the basis of inputs provided by the central agency, the officials said.

The Special Cell has registered a new case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and started an investigation, they said.

Officials in the know said police recovered dump data from laptops and mobile phones of some NewsClick journalists.

"The government has been targeting Newsclick apparently after the coverage this news portal gave to the issues of workers and farmers," the statement by the National Alliance of Journalists, the Delhi Union of Journalists and the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (Delhi Unit) alleged.

"We believe that this is yet another attempt by the Centre to muzzle the freedom of press. Such an action, raiding and intimidating almost all the employees in a media organisation is unheard of," it said.

The Newsclick management, the statement noted, has been maintaining that whatever funding they have received was through legal sources and evidences for this have been submitted in the Delhi High Court.

"These new raids are to divert public attention from burning livelihood issues of people ... We condemn this with the strongest possible words. We will stand with these journalists in this matter. We urge the Centre to immediately stop this attack on press freedom...," it said.